


Camp Arcadia

by Oripoke



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Slow Burn, alcohol & drug use, no time travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-30 08:19:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 53,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5156738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oripoke/pseuds/Oripoke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summer Camp AU.</p>
<p>Eighteen-year-old Max Caulfield is returning to Camp Arcadia, the summer camp she used to attend as a kid, to work as a counselor for the next eight weeks. But in the five years since she last was there, the camp -- and the people in it -- have changed. How will Max reconcile her memories of the past with the place and people of today, and in particular her co-counselor and former best friend, Chloe Price?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Orientation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everybody, and welcome to my hugely ambitious Pricefield Summer Camp AU fic. I'd been kicking around this idea since finishing Episode 4, and with the conclusion of Episode 5 I desperately needed to write some sappy fluff to compensate for the emotional devastation I felt after the ending.
> 
> The events of this fic will still parallel canon in some ways, with the obvious difference being that Max has no time powers. I tried to keep the characters' personalities intact, but obviously they are a little different because of the differences in setting. Also, apologies if this AU has been done already -- I'm new to the LIS fandom, but this game and it's fantastic characters were so inspiring, I had to write something for it.
> 
> There are sometimes links to songs in the text. I suggest opening them in a new tab to listen in the background, but it's not totally necessary.

Max stared out the window of the car, eyes unfocused, and tried to calm her hammering heart. In less than half an hour, she would arrive at Camp Arcadia, the self-same summer camp that was etched so firmly in all of her childhood memories. But this time was different; eighteen-year-old Max Caulfield was no longer a camper, but a counselor. For eight weeks, she was going to be responsible for the care, supervision and entertainment of throngs of youngsters, like she had once been herself. Plus, she got to return to the place she'd always loved as a kid, except this time, she'd get paid to do it! So... why was her heart hammering in her throat right now?

“Max, are you holding up okay back there? You seem a little quiet.” She looked up, catching her dad’s concerned look in the rear view mirror, and gave him a small smile. “You know, it’s okay to be nervous on your first day. This is a big step, but I’m positive you can handle it. Besides, didn’t you always used to ask us when you’d get to return here? Maybe you’ll even see some of your old friends again.”

"Thanks, Dad," Max said somewhat unenthusiastically. True, she was excited, but she also felt sick to her stomach with nerves for some reason. What if Camp Arcadia was nothing like she remembered it to be? What if she had just committed herself to eight weeks of misery and no Wi-Fi? All the ways that this could go wrong were spinning around in her head: that she'd be the laughingstock of all the camp counselors. That some accident could happen to one of her campers and she'd be held responsible. Or even that, by the time the car arrived, she'd discover the entire camp had been destroyed by a tornado, along with all her memories.

Max shook her head violently. She couldn't allow herself to get trapped in these anxious thoughts. She reached inside the nearest of her several duffel bags and took out her MP3 player. She'd carefully selected each song, knowing that she would likely be stuck listening to whatever she chose for the rest of the summer. She picked one that she liked at semi-random and [pressed play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q03YOKrLTPo).

As the music began to play, Max breathed out a sigh and let the song melt away her anxieties. Yeah, so what if she was nervous? Anybody would be, if they were starting a new job which they'd be tied to for the next eight weeks of their life. Plus, more than likely she was going to have a great time. She just needed to... come out of her shell a little bit. Everyone else would be just as nervous as she was, right?

Thinking reassuring thoughts, she closed her eyes and let the sound of the music wash over her.

***

"--Max. We're here! Shake a leg, kiddo!"

Max blinked her eyes open. The car was stopped in a familiar-looking dirt and gravel parking lot. As she regained awareness of her surroundings, Max recognized a very familiar archway with the words CAMP ARCADIA etched deep into the wood. She was hit with a jolt of nostalgia like a punch to the gut. She was really here again, after all these years.

"I guess I can't call you kiddo anymore. You've turned into such a mature young woman, Max. So go out there and knock 'em dead!" Her dad laughed, a deep and warm sound she was sure she'd miss during her inevitable homesickness. Max gave a warm smile and jumped down out of the car seat, duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Hey, honey, d'you think you brought enough camera equipment? I'm being crushed over here!" Max stifled a laugh as she watched her father mock-struggling under the bag that held Max's cameras and film. Photography was her passion, and it's not like there was somewhere closeby where she could buy more film, so she had to pack enough to last the entire camp session. At least with the instant film she used, she didn't need a dark room to develop it, so that was a plus, right? She only hoped she could find the space to store it all.

Hefting several bags over her shoulders, Max stepped through the archway and into Camp Arcadia for the first time in five years.

Her first impression was... not much had changed. A lot of the buildings in the distance seemed to be the same as she remembered -- there were Darwin, Thoreau, and Audubon, the boys' cabins; and Merriam, Carson, and Dormon, the girls'. A weathervane squeaked on top of the biggest building, the Main Hall. Maybe her memory wasn't that great, but everything was just as she remembered it -- as if the camp itself was something preserved in time, like a photograph.

Max took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freshly mown grass on the green, as well as the rich smell of the woods that enfolded Camp Arcadia on all sides. A breeze brought a whiff of the lake, which they'd jokingly called The Bay. She used to go out on a canoe on that lake, where she and Chloe would pretend they were pirates--

Snapping back to reality in an instant, Max remembered what she had to do. She needed to visit the main office and see what cabin she'd be assigned to for the summer. From the sounds of her dad struggling under the weight of all her bags, she should probably figure it out fast, before he pulled a muscle or something. Recalling her mental map of the place, she made a beeline for the central office.

***

"Hmm... Maxine Caulfield... Ah, yes, it looks like you'll be in Carson this year," said Camp Director Wells, who barely glanced up from the schedule and list of names that he was studying. "It says here you were a former camper, is that it?" His eyes finally glanced up from what he was reading. Max tried to compose herself underneath his gaze; this man was her boss, after all.

"Y-yes sir," she managed. "Five years ago. A-and then my family moved out-of-state, so..."

"Ahhh, yes, I remember now." Director Wells gave a knowing smile. "Max Caulfield. If I recall correctly, your absence was sorely missed the next year by some of your fellow campers. It's good to have you back, Max. I'm sure you'll have a fine time here at Camp Arcadia."

"Um, thank you, sir."

"Now, there's no need to call me sir," Director Wells said, neatly arranging the papers he had been studying. "I know I might seem like an... intimidating authority figure, but really I just want what's best for Camp Arcadia, and that includes you and your fellow camp counselors. Our main is to create a fun and friendly space for all of our campers. That being said," Director Wells fixed Max with a steely gaze, "If I catch you, or any counselor, goofing off or disrespecting the rules of this establishment, there will be serious consequences. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes sir-- um, I mean, Director Wells," Max said, trying to keep a fearful quaver out of her voice.

"Very good. I shouldn't expect very much trouble from you, Max. As I recall, you were an exceptionally well-behaved camper. Now, you might have had some different experiences in the past five years, but if you ask me, I'd tell you that people never change. At least, on some level they are always the same. I hope you have a wonderful time at Arcadia, Max."

"T-thank you," Max forced out, trying very hard to not call him "sir" again.

As Max turned and left the office, she was a few seconds too late to catch Director Wells' final remarks: "And God help you with dealing with that Price girl..."

***

Max dropped her duffel bags onto the floor with a sigh of relief, and dropped onto her bare mattress to take stock of her surroundings. This was her room in Carson cabin, and right now the place felt eerily empty, although Max knew that in just a day the place would be filled with energetic young girls, constantly shouting and begging for attention. Frankly, she had no idea how she was going to handle it all. Well, she might as well pretend like she knew what she was doing until she actually figured it all out. That's what it meant to be an adult, right? The walls surrounding her were familiar -- she'd lived in Carson for a few years during her time as a camper, although never in the master dorm.

Her gaze travelled to the empty bed on the opposite side of the room. She'd be sharing this space with whoever her co-counselor was for this year... but who? She mentally chided herself for not having asked Director Wells for her name. Ah, well, she'd find out in a few hours, anyway.

A sigh and the squeak of a door hinge alerted Max to her dad entering the room, carrying Max's final and heaviest duffel, the one with all of her clothing. He dropped it to the floor and sunk onto the bed with yet another sigh, although Max suspected he might have been exaggerating for effect.

"Oh, I'm getting too old for this," he groaned. "I'll help you unpack in a minute, but let me catch my breath first."

"It's okay, dad, you can take a break," Max told him with a smile. "I can handle unpacking all my things. Thanks for carrying them in." She unzipped the large bag and got to work sorting her clothes and belongings into the dresser. Belatedly, she remembered that the only washing machine on campus was coin-operated; she hoped she'd brought enough quarters.

"Max, darling, you're doing such a good job. I'm certain you'll make a wonderful camp counselor." Max tried to look up at his face, but her dad was looking away from her for some reason. "Promise you'll write us every week?"

"I promise," Max said sincerely. "I mean, there's no TV or Internet here, so it's not like I'll have better things to do than to write you guys letters."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find many more interesting things. Just know that your mom and I will be thinking of you always." He gave a small hiccup. "My little Maxie, all grown up... right before my eyes... It seems like only yesterday we were dropping you off here for the first time, and now you're going to work here for the entire summer..."

"Hey, dad, it's okay, I promise I'll keep in touch," Max said, abandoning her laundry-sorting and crossing over to the bed. She patted him on the shoulder somewhat awkwardly. All of a sudden, she found herself pulled into a warm hug.

"I'll miss you so much, sugarpie," he said, and Max internally found herself hoping that her fellow counselors never found out her dad called her "sugarpie."

"Miss you too, dad," she said out loud.

"That's my girl." He stood up and cleared his throat. "Do you, uh... need any help, with..."

"I've got it, dad." Max flashed him her winningest, I'm-a-capable-adult smile. "Thanks... you know, for everything."

"Of course, sweetie." He stood up from the bed. "Well, seeing as I'm not needed... I guess I should get going before it gets too dark."

"Hahaha, yeah," Max laughed somewhat awkwardly. "You don't want to be driving late at night around here. You might run into Bigfoot." She found herself pulled into another hug as dad gave a bristly kiss to her forehead.

"Goodbye, Max."

"Bye, Dad. Love you."

As she listened to the cabin door shut behind him, Max found herself filled with a sudden indescribable feeling -- a mix of nostalgia, love, anxiety, fear, and hope. She felt her heart fluttering in her chest like a butterfly. She still had no idea what was in store for her over the next eight weeks.

It was then that she heard the cabin door open and shut again. She could feel the blood rushing in her ears as she heard footsteps leading up to her door. She involuntarily closed her eyes as she heard the door leading to her room slam open. When she opened them a crack, there was a strange girl with blue hair standing in the doorway.

"So, this'll be my pad for the rest of the summer... pretty sweet," she said, a smile curling her lips. She flung her one duffel bag onto the bare mattress and made to go lie down on the bed next to it when she looked up, seeing Max for the first time. At the moment they made eye contact, a flash of recognition hit Max like a tidal wave.

"Holy shit... is that Max? Max fucking Caulfield?" The girl stared at her, her mouth in a perfect O shape.

Max couldn't help but stare. She was incapable of processing what she was seeing into words. After a few seconds of inarticulately opening and closing her mouth, she finally managed to say something intelligible:

"...Chloe?!"


	2. Ice Breaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe reunite for the first time in 5 years, and some things change while others remain the same.

"Holy shit. I can't believe it, is it actually Max?" Chloe stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Uh... last I checked, yeah."

"I thought you'd, like, fallen off the face of the earth! I thought I was never gonna see you again! Max, it's been five years -- I haven't heard from you at all. You never wrote, or, or e-mailed... I thought something bad had happened! And now you're just... here again, after all this time!" Chloe paced back and forth in front of her bed, a manic look in her eyes. "I feel like I'm in a dream right now."

"Likewise," Max murmured, not sure how to process the fact that her childhood best friend was going to be her co-counselor and roommate for the rest of the summer.

"Max, I have to do something kinda crazy, so like, don't flip, okay?"

"You're acting kinda crazy right now anyway," Max said with a slight smile. Chloe crossed the floor between their beds and reached out a hand, lightly touching her fingertips to Max's cheek.

"Sorry, I just had to check that you were really real, and not just some crazy hallucination from lack of sleep or too much pollen in the air or whatever." Chloe's hand dropped away from Max's face. Max lifted up her own hand to touch the tips of her fingers with Chloe's.

"I'm real. We're here together." Max's eyes met Chloe's and held her gaze for a beat, as the weight of their childhood past hung in the air between them.

After a pause which felt a lot longer than it probably was, Chloe looked away. Her serious demeanor dissolved, replaced with a jubilant excitement. "Holy shit, this is so hella cool! Chloe and Max, the dread pirates of Arcadia Bay, reunited again! Camp Arcadia won't know what hit it, Max. Plus, there’s someone I can’t wait to introduce you to. We're gonna take this place by storm!"

Max found herself smiling uncontrollably. "You haven't changed, Chloe." As she said it, though, she realized how very wrong she was. Although Chloe's rebellious spirit was still the same as she remembered, the girl from her childhood memories was transformed into a grungy punk, with luminous blue hair, spiked bracelets, multiple piercings and a spectacular tattoo that ran up the length of one of her arms. Chloe caught her staring and grinned back.

"Like what you see, girlfriend?"

"Nice tats," Max told her. "When did you get those?"

"Friend of mine inked me up last year. If you wanna get one too, I can talk him into giving you a discount."

"Oh, uh, no way, I don't think I'm ready for that quite yet," Max said. "Besides, doesn't it hurt?"

"No more than getting shot -- bang!" Chloe made a gun shape with her fingers and pretended to shoot it. "Only kidding, it doesn't hurt that much. We can come up with some designs for you later. I'm picturing... a full-back spread of a fire-breathing dragon. Sounds cool, right?"

"I don't think I'd be worthy of a tattoo like that," Max said, shaking her head incredulously. "I'd want to start with something small, like -- a butterfly, maybe?"

"Oooh, a butterfly. _Real_ original. But it suits you, Max Caulfield. Now, as much as I totally want to braid each other's hair and make friendship bracelets like we used to, I kind of have to unpack all my shit now." Chloe turned away and upended her bag onto her bed, dumping all the unfolded shirts, socks, and various punk paraphernalia in a disorganized pile. Max laughed quietly at the disarray; Chloe was always a force of entropy. Turning to her own belongings, she set herself to work, taping photographs to the wall above her bed. She didn't have very many yet, but she hoped that the summer would be filled with opportunities to take so many more.

***

Dusk fell, and with it came the mosquitoes, which bit annoyingly at Max and Chloe as they walked together from Carson to the firepit at the center of the Arcadia green, where the counselors were supposed to gather for introduction and fire-roasted hotdogs. Max still felt like she was in a living dream, walking through an enchanted other reality with the strange blue-haired girl beside her who was the same girl she'd been best friends with so many years ago. How had things changed? Chloe looked so different from the girl in her memories; Max almost hadn't recognized her at first. It made Max wonder whether she herself had changed too. She almost certainly had, although maybe not in such an outwardly visible way like Chloe. How would things be different between them, with five years' distance separating them and their past selves? But walking side-by-side with Chloe still felt easy, almost effortless. It was like no time had passed at all. That was the Camp Arcadia effect: freezing moments like this in time, forever.

As they reached the firepit, a mid-sized crowd of people were gathered there already. Chloe suddenly seemed on high alert, as if she were looking for somebody in particular. Max scanned the crowd, trying to see if there were any more familiar faces she recognized, when--

"Heyyy, isn't that Max Caulfield? Woah, talk about a blast from the past!" The boy who had been tending the fire came up to her, and in the flash of firelight she recognized him.

"Hey, Warren," Max smiled. He spread out his arms, and Max hugged him quickly, hoping that the growing dusk would obscure the slight blush on her cheeks. Before she'd left Camp Arcadia during the last year she'd been here, Warren had confessed having feelings for her and kissed her. Of course, that was five years ago, so she had no idea how things might be different now.

"Look at you! You're all, like adult now and stuff. Hey, we're both counselors, isn't that sweet? What cabin are you in? They've got me in Thoreau this year."

"Oh, uh, I'm in Carson," she said.

"Carson? Sweet. That's close by. So you know what that means, right?"

"...Pretend like I don't?"

"It means," Warren swept his arm up dramatically, "It'll be that much easier to sneak out at night and go on crazy adventures in the woods! Camp Arcadia is totally different at night, there's all kinds of creepy and cool places to go, I can't wait to show you--"

Max felt an arm drape itself across her shoulders. "I'm afraid Max will be busy, since her midnight adventures are booked solid for the next eight weeks."  She looked over towards Chloe, who was smirking at Warren.

"Oh, hey Chloe." Warren's smile dimmed a few watts.

"'Sup, nerd?"

"Hey, I'm proud of my nerdiness! It's what makes me who I am. There's nothing wrong with being a nerd, right Max?" Max looked between Warren and Chloe. There was a tension in the air that she wasn't completely comfortable with; they were both her friends, so she didn't want them to argue, or... whatever it was they were doing right now.

"Hey, hey, there's no reason we can't all go exploring in the woods together. Right?" Max studied both their faces, smiling hopefully. She saw the two of them exchange a look. "I mean, we're here for eight weeks, so that's... fifty-six midnights! That's plenty of time."

Chloe dropped her arm off of Max's shoulder and gave a shrug. "I guess you're right, Mad Max. Can't really argue with that logic."

"Haha, yeah!" Warren said, his face brightening again. "I'm looking forward to spending time with you this summer, Max. I-- a lot of us here have seriously missed you. Now, ladies, if you'll excuse me, this bonfire isn't gonna stoke itself." He turned away and returned to tending the fire.

"Wow, I can't believe Loverboy still has the hots for you after all those years," Chloe said nonchalantly.

Max blushed furiously again. "Shut up, Chloe! Warren was just being friendly."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say Max. Gotta wonder though what he means by 'midnight adventures'..."

"Ugh! Stop!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen," interrupted the booming voice of Camp Director Wells, "Allow me to welcome you all to Camp Arcadia. I see many familiar faces with me here tonight, as well as some new ones. Whether you've been coming to camp here for years or if this is your first time, I hope you all understand that this is a special place. The experience and memories that you make here will be something to remember for the rest of your lives."

Max and Chloe found seats on sawn-off logs around the fire. The rest of the camp counselors settled down as well. Chloe continued to scan the crowd, a sudden look of discontent growing on her face.

"Now," Director Wells continued, "I must remind you that as camp counselors, you have a serious responsibility in keeping Camp Arcadia's tradition of respectability, honor, and trust. You're not campers anymore, and I want you to understand that as exciting it is to be here at Arcadia, you all have jobs to do and you must take those jobs seriously."

"He gives this same speech every year," Chloe whispered to Max. "I could pretty much quote him word-for-word by now."

"Now, it appears that everyone is here, so I'm going to read out everyone's group assignments." He took out a piece of paper and tilted it to read it in the firelight, and cleared his throat. "Audubon cabin: Justin Williams and Nathan Prescott. Your group is the Badgers. Dormon cabin: Kate Marsh and Brooke Scott. Your group is the Otters. Thoreau cabin: Warren Graham and Daniel DaCosta. Your group is the Squirrels. Merriam cabin: Victoria Chase and Dana Ward. Your group is the Beavers. Darwin cabin: Evan Harris and Trevor Kingsley. Your group is the Elk. And lastly, Carson cabin: Chloe Price and Maxine Caulfield. Your group is the Deer."

Max felt a thrill pulse through her heart when she heard hers and Chloe's names get called. She had a vivid memory of being a camper in the Deer group herself, of hiking in the woods, singing songs around the campfire, canoeing out on the lake, and swinging on the giant swing. Starting tomorrow, she and Chloe would be in charge of sharing that experience with a new group of kids, hopefully creating memories and friendships which will last them a lifetime.

As Director Wells launched into a laundry list of safety precautions, do's and don'ts and Camp Arcadia's zero-tolerance alcohol and drug policy, Max turned to Chloe to convey her excitement. But Chloe wasn't smiling. Her jaw was set and she looked haunted.

"Chloe? What's wrong?"

"She promised me she'd come back this year. Swore it on her life. I... I don't understand... Why isn't she here?"

"Why isn't who here? Chloe, you're kinda scaring me..."

"Rachel Amber! Rachel Amber is missing!"


	3. Trust Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe have their first actual argument, and the differences of the past years become more apparent.

“Chloe, wait up!” Max called out to the blue-haired girl who was rapidly stalking away from the bonfire, threatening to disappear into the night. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

“Why do you care?” Chloe growled as she walked away, and Max could hear the hurt in her voice.

“Of course I care! Chloe, you’re my friend! Who is Rachel Amber? I don’t understand!”

Chloe came to an abrupt stop and turned around to face her. In the dim light of the distant fire, her eyes were filled with a burning emotion. “That’s just it Max! You don’t understand! You weren’t there! You haven’t been here for five years! How could you possibly--”

“Chloe, please! You know that’s not my fault! My parents moved out of state… Chloe, I was thirteen! I didn’t have a choice!”

“You could have written,” Chloe hissed, eyes low. “Or e-mailed. Anything. Instead, you sent nothing. I didn’t have a clue where you’d gone.”

“Chloe, I’m -- I’m sorry--”

“Do you even understand? Do you know how fucking hard it was for me, after you left?” Hearing her voice strain and crack provoked a twist of emotions in the pit of Max’s stomach: guilt, sympathy, remorse. “Things have been… not great for me, at home. This was the one place-- you were the only--” She trailed off mid-sentence and turned away again, her rapidly quickening strides making it difficult for Max to keep up.

“But what does that have to do with Rachel Amber?” Max cried out.

“You don’t get it, do you.” Chloe stopped again, but she didn’t turn to face Max this time. “After you left, I was so alone, so confused and hurt and angry. And Rachel, she… reached out to me. She helped me back on my feet. Rachel Amber was my best fucking friend!”

Hearing those words from Chloe were like a lance directly to Max’s heart. She stopped in her tracks, her breathing heavy. A silence stretched between them. This far from the bonfire, the murmurs and intermittent shouts were barely audible. All that they could hear were the crickets chirping, and the quiet and mysterious sounds of the woods.

“...And now she’s gone.” It was too dark to tell, but Max was fairly sure that Chloe was crying. “She left me, just like you did. Left without even a word.”

“Chloe, I’m sorry… I’m sorry about Rachel. But… I’m here now, okay? I won’t leave again.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth? Everyone in my life leaves… who’s to say you won’t do the same thing again?” Max was certain that Chloe was crying now. She was filled with a sudden urge to reach out and comfort her, but she wasn’t sure how Chloe would react if she did.

“I’m here with you for the next eight weeks. Chloe, I promise… we’re going to make those weeks s-so awesome, it’ll make up for the years we had to spend apart.” Moved by a spontaneous burst of willpower, she reached out and took Chloe’s hand. The blue haired girl turned to face her, and in the dim light Max could see the moon reflected in her eyes. Max held her hand for a moment, and then twisted their fingers together, entwining their pinky fingers. ”Pinky swear.”

Chloe made a strange noise halfway between a hiccup and a cough, and then again, and Max realized she had started to laugh.

“Max Caulfield, oh my god! Pinky swears! You’re such a dork,” Chloe said through her laughter. There were still tears in her eyes but she was smiling now. Max found herself laughing too, an uncontrollable euphoria that bubbled up from inside of her until her whole body was shaking and her eyes watered. At some point, the laughter became too much for them to remain standing, so they collapsed together onto the freshly mown grass. Max’s breathing came in sharp wheezes and her ribcage hurt, but when she turned her head to look at Chloe and found her looking back, everything felt okay at that moment. She was still holding Chloe’s hand.

Their laughter died down to a chuckle, then a murmur, then they were quiet, smiling and breathing in sync. Max stared up at the sky; this far away from civilization, the stars were intensely bright. She wondered if she could still recognize all the constellations. Hopefully she would, so that she could teach their names to the campers.

“This is weird, isn’t it,” Chloe said, at length.

“Yeah, but it’s like, _good_ weird.”

“Yeah.” Chloe stared quietly up at the sky. Max became suddenly aware of the warmth of their joined palms. “Man, these eight weeks are gonna be crazy.”

“Like you won’t even believe,” Max agreed.

“Girl, I’ll have you know that I have seen some shit,” Chloe said. “It takes a lot to phase me.”

“You seemed pretty surprised in the dorm earlier today,” Max chided.

“Hey, it’s not every day that your best friend from when you were kids comes back from the dead and walks right back into your life like she never left,” she returned. Max thought of correcting her, protesting that no, she wasn’t actually dead, but that would probably bring back the bad feelings again, so she held her tongue.

Instead, she said, “Well, it’s also not every day that you find out your best friend has been turned into some crazy blue punk. Seriously, you look like a Smurf!”

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I am a totally _hot_ Smurf,” Chloe retorted, provoking another laugh out of Max.

“I’m glad to see you, Chloe.”

“...’m glad to see you again too, you big dork,” Chloe returned. After a momentary pause, Max felt the warmth of Chloe’s hand disappear as the taller girl sat up. She tried to act like the loss she felt was no big deal. Chloe straightened up, and made a show of stretching and cracking her spine.

“C’mon, Mad Max. We should probably get back to the campfire,” Chloe said. “Otherwise they’ll start spreading rumors about us… and it’s only the first day!”

“Rumors… right,” Max said, gathering herself to her feet. “Wait, what sorts of rumors are we talking about here? Chloe!”

“Use your imagination, Maxi Pad,” Chloe said with a laugh. “They’ll probably say we got abducted by Bigfoot, who carried us back to his sexy Bigfoot lair and threw us a sexy Bigfoot party.”

“You are insane,” Max told her fondly as they made their way back towards the light of the campfire in the distance.

***

Around the fire, the other counselors and staff were gathered in a loose circle. One of the boys -- Trevor or Justin, Max wasn’t sure -- was [picking at a guitar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3yjeoYR2BE); the crowd was either listening with interest or pointedly not looking at him. Max studied the faces around her as she entered the circle, and felt a flash of recognition as she looked at some of them.

“Heeeeey, you over there!” A girl called out to her from next to the boy with the guitar. “Maxine, right?”

“It’s Max, actually,” she said, smiling at the girl and taking a seat on an empty log next to her. “What are your names?”

“I’m Dana, and this is Trevor,” the girl said, indicating the boy with the guitar. He looked up at Max and gave her a nod of acknowledgment before returning to his playing. “I like, wanted to say hi to you after we got our group assignments, but you totally disappeared for a minute there. Where’d you go?”

“I just went for a walk,” Max replied with a shrug.

“Okay. I wanted to ask you, is this your first time at Camp Arcadia? I don’t think I’ve seen you here before…”

“No, I used to come here a lot as a kid actually.” It was strange, Max thought, feeling for the first time like a stranger at the camp. Well, it had been five years…

“Oh, well in that case, welcome back!” Dana giggled. Max noticed the guitarist Trevor watching Dana out of the corner of her eye; she’d wager some of what little cash she’d brought with her that the two of them would be hooking up before the end of camp, if not by the end of tonight.

“Hey, Max, you know Chloe Price, in Carson with you?” Dana asked suddenly.

Max laughed incredulously, then realized that Dana was serious. She supposed not everyone at camp knew about the history she and Chloe shared. “Yeah, I know Chloe,” she said.

“I wonder if she’s, like, okay…” Dana looked slightly nervous. “Rachel Amber didn’t come back this year. She and Chloe were totally, like, inseparable. I feel kinda bad telling you this, but Chloe, uh…” she stared at her lap. “She used to get in trouble. A lot. I think she’s dealing with some stuff. Anyway, I just thought I should let you know, since you’re like, sharing a room and a group with her and all.”

Max almost wanted to defend Chloe; to say that Chloe wasn’t like that, that Dana didn’t understand who or what she was talking about. But then it occurred to her that Dana might actually have more experience with Chloe -- the Chloe of the present, not the one from Max’s memories. She was probably just trying to help, to warn Max about a potentially risky situation.

“Thanks, Dana,” Max said. “I’m pretty sure I can handle her, though.”

“Okay, well, just know if that you ever need any, like, support, we’ve totally got your back. We look out for each other here.”

“I sincerely appreciate it, Dana. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the summer with you.”

“You too, Max. It was nice meeting you!” Dana gave her a warm smile, turning her attention back to the guitarist again. Sensing the conversation was over, Max got up to leave, when she heard Dana call, “Wait, Max! Come over here for a sec.”

Curious, Max approached Dana, who dropped her voice to a whisper. “The boys at Audubon cabin are throwing a little… housewarming party tonight, after the bonfire. You know, to ‘break in’ Camp Arcadia and all that. It’d be really cool if you were there, too.”

“Thanks for the tip, Dana. I’ll give it some serious consideration,” she told her. Dana gave her a smile in return and then the conversation was over.

Max mulled over the new information she’d just been given. Dana’s secrecy was likely due to the fact that there would be alcohol at the party, and it would do them no good to get busted on the very first night of camp, before the campers even arrived. Max wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of drinking… well, if she was being honest, by “not comfortable” she really meant “completely inexperienced.” Still, she’d promised herself she would try to come out of her shell… and by the sound of things, most of the other counselors would be there that night. She didn’t want to be branded a total do-nothing loser from right off the bat. Still, she didn’t want to simply give in to peer pressure, or she might end up doing something she’d regret.

Then, there was the matter of Chloe. From the way that Dana had put it, Chloe already had a reputation among some of the other counselors at Arcadia. Would bringing her to the party cause more trouble? And what kinds of things had she done in the past to earn her that reputation? It must not have been that serious, otherwise she’d have been kicked out of the camp… right? And Chloe still had her job. Maybe Max was just getting worked up over nothing…

“Hey, are you all right? You look a little stressed out,” said a male voice, jerking Max out of her mental monologue. She looked up at the guy who was talking; she didn’t recognize him. He spoke with a slight accent, and seemed a little older -- a couple of years, maybe. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you… let me introduce myself. I’m Daniel. And you are… Max, right?” He gave her a shy smile.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand. Something clicked in her memory. “...Daniel! You’re living in Thoreau, right? You’re Warren’s roomie!”

“Yes, yes that’s it! I’m so glad you remembered. Warren was talking about you, that’s how I knew your name was Max. He’s very excited you’re here, you know.”

“Yeah, I bet. I’m glad to see him, too. So I guess you and Warren are friends?”

“That’s right. I’m looking forward to living with him this year. Warren and I have a lot in common, we both like the same kinds of shows and both of us dig sci fi. This summer will be better for sure.”

Max noticed a change in Daniel’s tone. “Did you not get along with your roommate in the past?”

Daniel sighed. “You know, Max, it’s true that we’re all one big family here at Arcadia… but families fight sometimes, too. And sometimes, we have different goals. Some of us would rather party and drink and do all kinds of crazy shit, just because they can. Leading a group with Nathan Prescott last year was… well, it wasn’t all bad. But we didn’t totally mesh, you know?”

“Nathan Prescott, huh…” Max thought to come up with a face. All of a sudden, she remembered the face of a boy from her childhood years, who had fallen during a hike and skinned his knee. He was crying so hard that wet, snotty tears were falling from his chin onto the dirt. Their counselor had to cut the hike short in order to carry him on her shoulders back to base camp. “Wait a minute, THAT Nathan Prescott?”

“I don’t know if there’s more than one Nathan Prescott at Arcadia, so yeah,” Danny said with a shrug. “He’s not a bad kid, really, just has some growing up to do I think. And he tries to prove he’s capable by partying all the time. I’m sure he’ll come around. He’s in Audubon this year.”

Max thought of the conversation she’d just had with Dana, about the party. “I heard there’s going to be… some kind of event there, tonight.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me.” Daniel shrugged. “If you want to, you should go. But Warren and I and a few of the girls are going back to Thoreau to watch some of the bootleg DVDs that he brought with him. You’re welcome to come too, if you like.”

“Thanks, Daniel, that sounds really fun actually.” Max found herself smiling.

“I’m glad you think so,” Daniel said, smiling widely. “How do you feel about horror movies? Warren’s on a ‘classic horror’ kick right now. We’ve got an entire stack of them to get through this summer.”

“I don’t really know how I feel about horror movies. I guess I don’t have much experience with them, to be honest.”

***

As it turned out, Max did _not_ like horror movies. She clung tightly to Chloe’s arm, hiding her face and trying not to listen to the screams as the chainsaw killer decapitated another victim.

“Ha! Scaredy cat,” Chloe chided her gently, flicking a piece of the microwave popcorn at her. On the other couch, Warren and Daniel were sitting at rapt attention, occasionally trading remarks on the cinematography, sound editing, or atmosphere. Max wished she could appreciate the cinematography more, but all the blood and guts were way too much for her to handle. On the floor, snuggled in pillows and a comforter were the girls from Dormon cabin, Brooke Scott and Kate Marsh. They seemed like nice, somewhat quiet girls, though Max was secretly impressed by Kate’s courage, able to keep watching the gory slaughterfest and only occasionally showing signs of disgust or fear. Brooke on the other hand just looked bored, as though watching people getting eviscerated was no more unusual than watching squirrels in the park.

Chloe’s presence at Max’s side was a steady comfort, too. She was absolutely thrilled by the choice of movie; Max had only to breathe a word of a horror movie marathon in her vicinity and suddenly she was raring to go. On the way back to the cabin, she’d struck up a conversation with Warren about their favorite horror movies -- Warren was convinced that Hitchcock had perfected the art of blending horror with thriller films, whereas Chloe came out as a strong advocate for Romero’s Living Dead series. Max had simply listened in incredulously, not understanding the appeal but secretly glad Warren and Chloe were finding something to talk about other than… her.

“They won’t let us watch these in the dorms after the campers arrive, so we’ll have to find another place if we want to watch some more of these later on,” Daniel was saying. “Do you think Director Wells would let us use the staff room if we asked him?”

“Haha, noooo way,” Warren said. “If he catches us with R-rated movies, he’ll skin us alive and use our insides as bait for the fishing lessons. One hundred per-cent guarantee. We’ll have to find someplace else with electricity, somewhere we won’t be caught red-handed. Ooooh, like that guy!” he exclaimed, pointing at the screen where some poor victim was getting his hands sawed off.

Internally, Max hoped that they would maybe consider other movie genres for future marathons. But, she reflected, sitting here with Chloe wasn’t so bad. With her head against Chloe’s arm like this, she could feel the vibrations whenever she laughed at a particularly gruesome moment, or her victorious whoops as she cheered for the killer.

Tomorrow would be a new day, the first of many in her new life as camp counselor at Arcadia. But for tonight, Max was happy to remain in the moment, with the solid, warm reality of her best friend by her side.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Daniel's a pretty underrated character so I gave him a slightly bigger role in this fic.


	4. Morning Phase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max begins her first actual day as a camp counselor. But her actions from last night will have consequences...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title comes from [this Beck album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Iu8QWzmZ-I&list=PLaQqUACtlRRSpfpad5HftLeUE0BXJSLrc).

The first official day of camp dawned bright and radiant, the raucous birdsong working better than any alarm clock to get Max up and dressed for the day. In the dewy morning stillness, she decided she could probably get some nice shots, so she threw on the strap of her polaroid instant camera and stepped out into the fresh air. A deep breath brought the earthy smell of decaying wood, the clear scent of the lake, and a hint of eggs and bacon from the Mess Hall -- where they were already busy cooking breakfast. Max felt invigorated and alive in a way she hadn’t felt in months, maybe years.

Carson cabin was fairly close to the waterfront, so Max decided to go there in order to find some good photo opportunities. The closest way to the lake was along an uneven path in the woods, which had been made by deer, not humans, so Max had to carefully watch every step she took for fear of slipping. The worst thing would be to drop or damage her expensive instant camera. She cradled it close to her chest; this hunk of plastic was her baby.

As Max emerged from between the trees, she slid down a mossy rock to stand on the lake’s edge, where the water lapped at half-submerged rocks. This was different from the main beach area, which she could see off in the distance; this was a more private space, although it was still the same old Arcadia Bay of course. The morning mist was still hovering around the surface of the water, not yet evaporated; it gave the place an ethereal, otherworldly look.

Her photographer’s eyes caught a ripple on the surface of the water. As she watched its movements, she realized that it was a fish, most likely a trout of some kind. She saw it swim its way up to the shallows, until it was close to the water’s edge where she was standing. This close, she could see the morning light reflected on its scales from under the water’s surface. Max raised her camera to frame it, and…

[SNAP!]

“Good mooooooorning, sunshine!” came a voice through the trees. Max jumped and the trout startled away, but it didn’t matter; she’d taken the shot already. She turned and saw Chloe, who slid nimbly down the mossy rock and stuck the landing with a flourish. She caught Max’s eye and smiled.

“I thought I’d find you here on this early morn,” Chloe told her, a proud smile on her face. “When I gazed ‘pon thy bed and found not a soul within, I wondered wherever did my dearest Max wander. And then I saw you took your camera, too, so I realized you went to go take pictures. So very, verrrrry predictable.”

“You got me,” Max said, smiling automatically. “Your powers of deduction astound me, Ms. Holmes.”

“Please, call me Sherlock,” she said, tipping an imaginary hat. “So, didja get any good shots?”

“I got one… I think,” Max said, glancing at the just-developed polaroid. The fish hung poised beneath the water’s surface in the picture, as if it was frozen in ice -- but then, wasn’t that what fish did during the wintertime? Man, she should really brush up on her biology…

“Oooh, fishy fishy!” Chloe remarked, peering over Max’s shoulder. “That’s photo numero uno, out of a billion.”

“I don’t think I brought enough film to take that many, unfortunately… but I’ll certainly try,” Max said, staring at the photograph. For the first of her collection, it wasn’t bad.

“Ooooh, I know! You should take a photo of me, right now!” Chloe insisted. Max fought the urge to roll her eyes; it often annoyed her when people would demand that she take a picture of them after they learned that she was a photographer. Max often found that pictures where people were posing were too awkward and inauthentic. But Chloe… she was so spontaneous in every moment of every day, so she would never look artificial. Plus, she was so pretty -- in a purely objective, photographer’s-eye way, of course, though it wasn’t as though she wasn’t pretty in other ways too, and oh, hell.

Max raised the instant camera to her eyes again and pointed it at Chloe, who was standing at the lake’s edge.

[SNAP!]

She took the polaroid out of the camera as soon as it was done printing, and resisted the urge to shake it, which -- despite what the song might say -- would actually ruin the quality of the photo.

“Oh yeah,” said Chloe. “I actually came here for a real reason, to tell you to get your butt to the Mess Hall, because they’ll be serving breakfast soon and I am starved.” She patted her stomach.

“The kids will be arriving soon, won’t they?”

“Yep, and it’ll be our job to check the little buggers in. A word of advice, about this job: get used to counting, because you’ll be doing that… a lot.”

“...Counting?”

“You’ll get real good at counting to 12. Or 13. I don’t actually know how many we’ll have this year.” Chloe scrambled up the mossy rock and outstretched her hand; Max grabbed it and climbed to the top and the two of them walked back along the wooded path.

“I’ve never actually been a counselor before…”

“Max, don’t worry about it, seriously. I know you’ll be a natural at this. I can tell that you’re great with kids! They’ll love you!” Max smiled to herself, thinking that part of the reason she’d be good with kids was due to her experience in dealing with Chloe. “Besides, if there’s anything you’re shaky on, I’ve got your back. I guess you can say I’ve been around the bend a number of times.”

“How many years ago did you become a counselor?”

“Two; Rachel and I started when we were seventeen.” Chloe suddenly stopped talking and looked troubled, and Max realized that she was thinking about Rachel. They walked quietly side-by-side for a moment before Max spoke again.

“Chloe, I’m sorry about her. I really am.”

“It’s fine,” Chloe said abruptly, though still obviously on edge. “I mean, it’s not fine, but I’ll manage. Plus, you’re here.” She flashed Max a smile, which sent a thrill through Max’s chest which she couldn’t explain.

“Yeah. I’m here.” Max reached out to take Chloe’s hand, but her friend snatched it away before Max could.

“Hey, now, it’s too early in the morning to get sappy on me again,” Chloe chided. “Now c’mon! Let’s get our shit together and go eat already!”

***

The large Mess Hall, built to accommodate hundreds of campers, seemed empty with only the twenty or so counselors and staff members there at the moment. Max carried her tray of scrambled eggs and french toast and scanned the area for a place to sit.

“Hey, Max! Over here!” Max heard someone calling her name, and she turned to see Warren seated at a long table with the rest of the counselors from the horror movie marathon they’d watched last night. Max smiled and set her tray down at the empty seat in between Warren and Kate. The girl gave her a small smile.

As Max sat down and was about to dig into her eggs and toast, she heard a voice from behind her.

“Maxine Caulfield. Never thought I’d see _your_ face around here again.” Mildly irritated at being interrupted in the middle of her breakfast, Max turned to look at the speaker. It was a boy she hadn't spoken to before. He wore a fancy-looking polo shirt and a smug expression on his face. Nathan Prescott, her memory provided.

“It’s Max, actually,” she replied, trying to keep her voice even. Something about this boy was really bothering her, but she didn’t want to be outwardly aggressive.

“Right, sorry, _Max_ ,” Nathan drawled. “Last I remember of you, you were sucking faces with Warren over there. Still into him, after all these years?” An enormous blush colored Max’s face immediately; she glanced over to Warren, who was looking similarly embarrassed.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Nathan,” she said, her tone icy. “Is there something wrong?”

“Not really…” Nathan looked away, adopting a nonchalant pose that looked so fake, Max almost burst out laughing. “Just, Dana said you’d be at Audubon last night, and you didn’t show. Did something happen, Max? Got the first-day jitters?”

“I decided to do something else,” Max told him, carefully neutral. “Maybe some other time.”

“What’s your problem, Nathan?” Warren wasn’t so hesitant to get in Nathan’s face. “If you’ve got a problem with Max, you’ve got a problem with all of us.”

“I don’t have a problem,” Nathan said, “I just wanted to ask Max why she decided she was too cool to hang out with the rest of us.”

“You know it’s not like that,” Max told him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her blood ran cold. “I’m sure we’ll have time to hang out later. You’re kind of making a scene right now, though,” she pointed out. It was true; all the other conversations at the surrounding tables had died down, and people were looking at them. Max felt as if all eyes were on her for the moment.

Nathan shrugged. “Whatever. Just know that people care what you do here in Arcadia. We’re all looking out for each other, y’know? In a small place like this, word gets around quickly.” He turned away. “Have nice first day of camp, Max.”

“Asshole,” Warren coughed.

Max stared at her eggs and toast, trying to process the conversation she had just had. Her appetite was suddenly nonexistent. Why had Nathan felt the need to be so confrontational like that? Had her choice to watch movies instead of go to the party really mattered that much?

“Yo, what’d I miss?” came the familiar voice of Chloe, who arrived carrying a tray loaded with eggs, sausage and bacon, and sat down at the table opposite Max. “You all look like you just witnessed a murder. What’s up?”

“Nathan Prescott,” muttered Warren through gritted teeth. “Just ‘cause his daddy’s rich doesn’t mean he gets to, to bully everyone--”

“Calm down, Warren,” said Daniel, his voice level and reassuring. He looked at Chloe and said, “Nathan came over to ask Max why she didn’t go to the party at Audubon last night. Thanks for not selling us all out, by the way.”

“No problem,” said Max dully, picking at her breakfast like it held no appeal to her whatsoever. She was mentally running through the conversation she’d just had over and over, wondering if there was a way to patch things up with Nathan, or whether she’d permanently screwed herself for good--

“As if I care what that douche has to say,” Chloe scoffed, spearing a sausage with her fork. “Hey, I see you sulking over there, Max. Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. We’ve got your back. If Doucheface wants to mess with you, he’ll have to go through us, first.” She winked, and Max’s heart felt a little warmer. Suddenly, her breakfast looked like the most delicious meal she’d ever been served in her life, and she realized that she was starving.

As Max was shoveling scrambled eggs into her mouth, she became aware that Camp Director Wells was standing at the front of the mess hall, and the rest of the group had fallen silent. She forced herself to swallow in order to listen to what he had to say.

“Good morning, everybody,” he announced, his booming voice commanding everybody’s attention. “As you know, the campers will be arriving today. As such I will require all of you to be on your very best behavior. The period of transition can be a difficult one, especially for our youngest campers. Your most important job today will be to look out for campers who are lost, or need support. All of you were campers here before, so you understand how crucial the first day can be. Be willing to listen, and be as friendly and welcoming as possible.”

“Can do, Chief,” Chloe said quietly.

“Now, then,” Director Wells continued, removing a sheaf of papers from the folder he carried under his arm, “I have the camper lists for every one of your groups. In each cabin, one of you will be working at the table to help new arrivals sign in, while the other will be at the cabin to assist with room assignments and the move-in process. We can expect the first campers to arrive in about half an hour. When you are finished eating, please come to the front of the room to collect your lists. If there are any problems during check-in, please report them to me or to Mrs. Grant. Lunch will be served at three PM, you may visit the Mess Hall between noon and one for a pre-made snack. As always, Convocation will take place by the bonfire when it gets dark, which tonight will be at eight PM.  I hope that everyone has a good first day at Arcadia. ”

Director Wells stopped talking and the regular murmur of conversation returned, Max again felt the twist of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She reminded herself that what she was feeling was only natural, and that it was nothing compared to what some of the campers were going to be experiencing on their first days.

She had distant but vivid memories of being dropped off at camp for the first time ever, when she was eight. She had begun crying as soon as her parents left, not ready to spend two weeks apart from them in a camp full of strangers. As she’d been crying on her bed, her not-yet-unpacked duffel bag on the floor by her feet, somebody else opened the door to her cabin room. Blinking away tears, young Max looked up at the blonde-haired girl standing in her doorway.

“Hiya,” the girl had said, “I’m Chloe! You’re in this room too, right? Okay, we’re going to be friends, just so ya know.”

Max smiled at the memory. After those first few days she and Chloe became inseparable; they did everything together and were always each other’s partners during games and group activities. Max had never had a best friend before, and Chloe was always so enthusiastic and encouraging, pushing Max out of her comfort zone to new and greater adventures. In the years that followed, she would always put in a special request to be in the same group as her, so that they’d never have to be apart. And then, her parents announced they'd be moving away…

Max blinked herself out of her reverie, her past memories catching up with the present. Her breakfast finished, Max collected her tray and the trays of the people she was sitting with and brought them to the window so that they could be washed. When she returned to the table, Chloe passed her a sheet of paper.

“I took the liberty of grabbing the list for you already, so you’re welcome,” she said smugly. Max looked at the list of names and ages for the campers in the Deer group. Twelve girls in all, they were on the younger end of the age spectrum, mostly between eight and eleven years old. Max was secretly glad about that; she wasn’t sure how well she’d handle a group of moody, rebellious teenagers. After all, at eighteen years old she was still technically a teen herself.

“Bummer,” said Chloe, who was studying her own sheet, “Looks like I’ve got tabling duty for the next shift. You gonna be okay on your own without me for a couple of hours, Max?”

Max giggled. “Somehow I think I’ll manage.”

“No! You’re supposed to say, ‘oh Chloe, I don’t know how my heart will stand being apart from you for so long.’ And then you swoon, and I catch you.”

“Get a room, you two,” teased Brooke, who was seated to Chloe’s right. Chloe stuck out her tongue at her.

Their breakfast finished, Max and the rest of the counselors began heading to their stations. Max stopped by the door to pick up her official Camp Arcadia Staff t-shirt, which was colored pink this year and had a picture of an otter on it. A few paces away, she noticed Nathan Prescott complaining to a couple other counselors about the shirts’ color.

“Seriously? Pink? Who decides this shit? I don’t want to wear a pink shirt."

“Just put on the damn t-shirt, Nathan,” said a girl who Max hadn’t been introduced to yet. She was very pretty, yet had a stern, severe look to her. She also looked vaguely familiar, but Max was having trouble remembering a name.

A tap on her shoulder alerted Max to Chloe’s presence at her side. “That’s Victoria Chase. Word of advice: don’t bother. She’s a total hottie but she’s got the claws of a tiger. Do you remember back when there was that girl in our group who had really bad acne, and one day she woke us all up screaming because somebody had put a dead bird in her bed while she was sleeping? Supposedly Victoria was behind that.” Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose. “I wish I could say she’s gotten less catty and vindictive over the years, but really it’s the same old, same old.”

“Right, like _you’re_ a paragon of maturity,” Max teased.

“I am, too! Give me a tax form; I’ll fill that shit out right here and now.” Chloe stood with her hands on her hips. “Only not. I’d rather tear it to shreds and use it as rolling paper.”

“Exactly.” Max gave her a smile. “Now, don’t you have a table to sit at, or something?”

“Wow, Max, it’s like you seriously want me gone,” Chloe said sarcastically. “Fine, I guess I’ll go do my stupid job that I get paid to do. Catch you at lunch later?”

“Sure thing,” Max said. Chloe gave her a little wave and disappeared around a corner. Max stood still for a moment, savoring the light, floaty feeling in her chest that she always felt following conversations with Chloe for some reason. Then, she turned to walk back to Carson cabin to await the arrival of the new campers.


	5. Sink or Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The campers arrive, and Max discovers that being a camp counselor involves actual work, sometimes. Fortunately, her friends are there to help her through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter introduces some minor OCs (the campers). They aren't that important to the overall plot though.

Max sat in the common room of Carson cabin, her instant camera on her lap, and watched the campers as they moved their stuff in. Although her purpose for being there was to provide help and guidance, she felt like a fly on the wall, watching all the conversations between children and their parents. Occasionally, she would introduce herself as the counselor, although her Arcadia Staff t-shirt and the “Hello my name is MAX” sticker on her chest really did all of the work for her.

In reality, there was a lot of downtime. She didn’t need to deal with any problems immediately, so instead she simply observed. A mom and dad were giving parting words of advice to a girl who looked like she was ready to be free of them already; Max listened as they urged her to brush her teeth, shower every day, and to please write home using that brand new stationery she’d bought. Finally, after many hugs and butterfly kisses, they bade tearful farewells.

Leaning against the wall by the door to one of the bunk rooms was one of the campers’ bags; a sparkly pink suitcase on rollers. The door was slightly ajar, and in the gap Max could see the shadow of somebody standing on the other side. The setup piqued her interest, because it seemed to capture the essence of the strange, transitional time they were in so she raised her camera to perfectly frame the shot, and--

[SNAP!]

As the polaroid printed, Max became aware of somebody watching her. She turned to see a young girl, a first-time camper who was only eight years old. She looked up at Max curiously.

“What’s that?” She asked, pointing at Max’s camera.

“This is my camera,” Max told her with a smile. “I use it to take photos of things I like. See?” She held up the polaroid for her to see.

“I don’t see anything,” the girl said with a frown.

“That’s because it hasn’t developed yet. After a minute, you’ll be able to see what’s on the picture. Until then, it’s very important not to touch it, because you’ll mess up the photo.”

“So are you like a picture-taker?”

Max giggled. “Yeah, I’m a photographer. Taking pictures is what I love to do, it makes me happy. What do you like to do?”

As the little girl started to tell her about how she was a member of the junior swim club, and how she could hold her breath underwater for nearly a minute, Max heard raised voices from one of the dorm rooms. “I really want to hear about your swim club,” she told the girl, “but right now, I need to see what’s going on in there. I’ll show you more about my camera later too, all right?” Max gave her a gentle smile and then pushed open the door where the shouting was coming from.

On the other side were two campers who had been on the verge of a shouting match when Max walked in. They were standing on opposite sides of the room, glaring daggers at one another. “Hey, is everything okay in here?”

“No, it isn’t.” The girl with curly hair and round, dark cheeks had crossed her arms and was pouting intensely. “I had the top bunk, but then she stole it from me when I went to go pee. But I was there first!”

“Nuh-uh, you didn’t call ‘dibs’ so I got it,” retorted the other girl, who was skinny with braids and braces. “And now my stuff’s on it, so it’s mine! Those are the rules!”

“Hey, hey, woah,” Max intervened, “There aren’t any official rules on ‘dibs’ here.”

“Yes, there are!” The girl with braces said. “I was here last year too, and that’s how it works!”

Max looked at the other girl, who was looking upset. “...Hey. What’s your name?”

“Trisha,” she said, a tremble in her lower lip.

“Is this your first time at Camp Arcadia, Trisha?” Max asked gently. She gave a quick nod.

“All right. And what’s your name?”

“...Amy,” said the girl with braces.

“All right. Amy, you’ve been to Camp Arcadia before, so of course you know how much fun it is to be on top. But it’s Trisha’s first time here, so don’t you think she deserves a chance to sleep on the top bunk, too?”

Amy chewed on her lip. “...Maybe.”

“Here, I have an idea for a compromise. Why don’t you let Trisha have the top bunk for the first two days, and then on Tuesday, if you still want to, I’ll let you switch bunks with her. You can switch off every few days. Does that sound good?”

“Okay.”

“I guess.”

“Great!” Relief washed over Max. It looked like she was going to resolve this conflict without anyone crying. “Now, you two will be seeing each other a lot, so try to be nice to each other, okay? You could even become friends! I mean, my best friend was my bunkmate my first year here. You never know!”

“Really?” Trisha asked, eyes wide as saucers.

“Yep! You’ll meet her soon, if you haven’t already that is. If you’ve got any more issues, you can ask me anytime, all right? That’s what I’m here for!” Max straightened up and walked out of the bunk to sit in the common room again. She breathed a sigh; she’d nearly broken into a sweat trying to resolve that conflict. And that was definitely not going to be the worst thing she’d have to deal with during her time as a camp counselor, or even today. She wished Chloe were there, to provide backup and emotional support.

Geez, Max, it’s been what, an hour and a half? So needy, she thought to herself. Max reminded herself that last night, she’d been the one talking Chloe down from a temper tantrum over Rachel the other night. She gave a small sigh, then pulled out the photo she’d taken a couple minutes earlier, now-developed. She noticed a miniature lens flare from one of the rhinestones on the suitcase, which she hadn’t seen while she was taking the photo. That was another thing she’d always loved about instant photos; the final developed result would sometimes contain unexpected surprises.

Max held the photo delicately, trying not to count the minutes until she could see Chloe again.

***

“Your hair is blue!” said a young boy for maybe the fifth or sixth time that day, pointing his finger at Chloe’s face. She resisted the urge to be outwardly exasperated; she was a counselor after all, and had to maintain professionalism.

“Yeah, it is. Now, does your last name start with the letters A through M?”

“Why is it blue?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“I fell into a pool of radioactive waste,” she said. She’d come up with 3 or 4 different versions of the story while seated at the check-in table, bored out of her skull. “When I climbed out, my hair was blue and I had superpowers. Now, what’s your last name?” Surprised but apparently satisfied with the answer she gave, the boy answered her question and allowed Chloe to sign him in. Only when he was out of earshot did Chloe allow herself to let out her frustration with a combined sigh and groan.

“You really should just tell them the truth,” said Victoria Chase, who was seated at the table to her left. “They’ll find it out eventually anyway. You’re just setting them up for disappointment.”

“Like you care, Victoria,” Chloe muttered.

“I’m only looking out for you,” Victoria said smugly. “I mean, I wouldn’t want you to have a hard time leading your group. It must be hard enough for you as it is, since Rachel Amber didn’t come back this year--”

“Don’t talk to me about Rachel!” Chloe snapped, knowing as she did it that she was losing control, which was exactly what Victoria wanted.

“Didn’t she tell she wouldn’t come back this year? You two were totally inseparable, I figured she would have let you know.”

Chloe seethed internally. She knew that Victoria was trying to get underneath her skin, and it was working. She opened her mouth to deliver a sarcastic retort when she noticed another camper come up to the table. Swallowing her vitriol, she forced a smile and asked the girl, “Hi, can you tell me the first letter of your last name?”

“B,” she replied. She seemed incredibly shy and was clutching a ratty stuffed bunny to her chest. Chloe scanned the list of names.

“Emily Baker?” The little girl nodded. Chloe supposed she probably was intimidated by her punk rock looks, even though the pink Arcadia Staff shirt was probably the least punk thing she owned. “Hey, it looks like you’re in the Deer! That means you’ll be kicking it with me in Carson cabin this year. Do you know where that is?” The girl shook her head, so Chloe handed her a map and pointed to it. As the girl stared at it uncomprehendingly, Chloe said, “I could show one of your parents how to get there-- hey, hey, no more of that,” she said quickly as tears began to form in the little girl’s eyes. “Here, it’s not too far. I can just walk you there. Yo, Vic. Can you cover me for a minute? I gotta go do a thing.”

“Because I’m such a generous person, I suppose I can,” Victoria said airily. Chloe rolled her eyes. Whatever. She can have her victory if she wants it. Taking the camper by her hand, she slowly led her out of the building and down the path towards Carson. The girl was quiet the whole way there, her face half hidden by the stuffed bunny. Chloe hoped she wouldn’t carry it around with her for the entire camp session; the other girls would surely make fun of her for it.

Finally, the quiet became too awkward for her to bear, and so she asked, “Is this your first time at Arcadia?” When the girl nodded, Chloe continued, “Let me tell you about my first time here. I was about your age, too. I tried to be brave, but inside I was such a nervous wreck. But then, d’you know what happened? I met this super sweet girl in my group, and we became really, really great friends. We messed around and did all kinds of hella fun stuff, like playing hide-and-seek in the woods, climbing on rocks, picking blueberries, and stealing a boat and going out on the lake. Uh, you probably shouldn’t do that last one, though. The point is, we had an awesome time! And I’m sure you’ll have a great time, too. I mean, you’ve already made one friend in like, the first hour.”

The little girl blinked up at her with large, watery eyes. Chloe waited a second to see if she got it, but either she didn’t understand or was just committed to the whole not-talking thing, so she squeezed the girl’s hand and said, “Emily, it’s me! I’ll be your first friend at Arcadia.” She stopped walking as they arrived outside of Carson. “Now, go inside and find the room with your name on it. Go on! I’ll see you at lunch later, okay?” Emily’s hand slipped from hers as she walked to the door. She opened it and went inside, and Chloe gave a sigh of relief. Walking over to the outer wall of the cabin, she sagged against it and stared up at the blue sky in between the trees.

What she wouldn’t give for a cigarette right now.

***

Max was staring at the camera in her lap, passing the time as the campers filed in one by one when she heard a very familiar voice coming in from outside. Her mood lifted in practically an instant. She watched the door open and a shy-looking girl step into the cabin. Max watched her for a moment to make sure she found the right bunk room, and then headed outside to find Chloe leaning against the cabin, looking thoughtful. She hadn’t noticed Max yet, so now was the perfect chance for a candid photo. As quickly as possible, she raised her camera--

[SNAP!]

“--Hey!” Max was secretly satisfied to see Chloe startled, and also to watch her surprise instantly transform into amusement when she saw Max. “You sneaky ninja Max, you took a pic of me when I wasn’t looking!”

“I couldn’t resist,” she said, grinning. “You looked so… picturesque, like an indie album cover.”

“Ugh, barf,” Chloe said, pretending to gag. “You’re such a hipster.”

“That totally doesn’t mean anything these days, you know.”

“It does have a meaning, it means _Max Caulfield_. You are the very definition of hipster. There’s probably, like, a photo of you next to the definition in the dictionary. Probably one of your selfies.”

Max laughed, and sat on the stairs next to her. There was a beat of silence, filled only by the sound of cicadas and the wind in the trees.

“Man,” said Chloe, “I can’t believe there’s parents that just like, ditch their kids at the entrance of camp and drive off. Like, ‘see ya sweetie, your mother and I are off to Vegas now, good luck not getting eaten by wolves, bye!’”

“That is pretty irresponsible of them,” Max nodded.

“It just astounds me sometimes how little adults give a shit about kids sometimes. Like they don’t even matter, so they should be locked away in playpens and so they’re out of sight.”

“Or put on leashes in the park.”

“Yeah!” Chloe laughed. “God, Max, if I ever become one of those parents that puts their kids on a leash, I want you to call Child Protective Services on me.”

“...You ever think about it? Actually raising a kid?”

“Woah, look at Serious Max over here all of a sudden,” Chloe teased. “...Nah, I think I’d rather be the Cool Aunt. Drives a motorcycle, takes the kids on trips, that kind of thing. Uh, what about you? Ever think of having kids?”

“I dunno. It’s way too early for me to even consider something like that.” Max stared at the leaves scattered on the ground; she considered taking a photo of the dappled light shining through the trees, but decided against it. She liked to have a subject in her pictures; landscapes weren’t really her thing. “Being around little kids though, it makes you think…”

“Yeah, I usually aim for ‘big sister’. I mean, do I look like someone’s mom?”

Max laughed. “Definitely not.”

“That’s the whole point of this place. No parents, no teachers, no bullshit. Just, like, a place to be yourself.” Chloe blew at a lock of hair that had fallen into her face. “I sure as hell needed a place like this when I was their age.”

“You really left your mark on Arcadia, that’s for sure.”

“Correction: _we_ left a mark. Or don’t you remember the time we got busted for stealing a canoe and going out on the lake at night? If I recall correctly, that plan was your idea, Mad Max.”

“I remember! Captain Chloe and First Mate Max, the scourges of Arcadia Bay!” Max grinned widely. “Y’arr, matey!”

At Max’s dorky pirate impression, Chloe doubled over with laughter. “Oh my god-- you remember!”

“Of course I do! We were looking for whales,” Max added, “although I don’t think we found any.”

“Well, the pirate crew is back together again! Shall we hoist the sails, matey?”

“Anchors aweigh!” Max said, provoking another uncontrollable laugh from Chloe.

“Ahaha-- Max, you’re killing me,” she wheezed. “I still can’t believe you remember all that. That was ages ago!”

“It was pretty memorable,” Max said with a shrug. “I guess some of the most fun times we had were when we were breaking the rules. I’d hate to be a counselor with us as campers, though. I bet if anybody does that under our watch, we’ll be the ones to get in trouble.”

“So we just gotta help cover it up! Easy!” Chloe elbowed her and winked; Max rolled her eyes. “Max, I regret to inform you, but you’re definitely the Group Mom.”

“Am not!”

“You so are, don’t deny it. I’m the cool older sister and you’re Mama Max.”

“Ugh! Never call me that again!” Max pouted. “I can so be cool. We can both be big sisters.”

“Whatever, _mom_.”

“Go to your room!”

Chloe laughed and stepped away from the cabin wall. “For the sake of your oh-so-fragile dignity, I promise I won’t call you that in front of the campers. Most likely.” She turned away slightly and her smile fell. “Unfortunately, I have to back to my post and listen to Victoria Chase bitch at me for taking so long. But I’ll see you later, obviously.”

“Fine, get back to work already, you slacker,” Max teased.

“You’re not my real mom!”

***

The day wore on steadily, the sun climbing to the highest point of the sky and the heat becoming steadily muggier. The onrush of arriving campers had slowed to a trickle, until at last every room in the cabin was occupied. Max felt like she had her hands full every minute, answering the girls’ questions or stepping in to resolve minor conflicts; she kept her eyes trained on the single clock on the wall, counting away the minutes until lunchtime. Eventually, she heard the sound of the massive bell by the Mess Hall signal that lunch was ready. Exercising her new-found authority, she went into every room and collected the girls until all twelve of them were gathered outside of Carson, ready to leave.

Chloe had been right; she _did_ count them a lot.

When they arrived for lunch and the campers dispersed across the tables, Max felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, expecting to see Chloe but was greeted by Warren instead.

“Hey, Warren!”

“Yo, Max! How’re you holding up on your first day?”

“It’s a lot of work,” Max admitted with a sigh. “I don’t know how much more I can handle…”

“Relax! It only gets easier from here,” he told her, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “In a couple of hours there’ll be convocation, but in the meantime we’ve got some free time, so we can do whatever we like. So, how about it? Let’s hang out and catch up. I bet some crazy stuff has happened over the last five years, huh Max?”

“I’d love to, Warren, but first I gotta find my co-counselor,” Max told him. A shadow passed across Warren’s expression at the mention of Chloe, but it was gone in an instant.

“A’ight, suit yourself Max. I’ll be over with my group, so come find me if you wanna hang out later! Ciao!” Warren turned away and walked back towards his table. Max felt conflicting emotions. Warren was so earnest and friendly, like a puppy dog, and Max was grateful for his friendship. So, why did she find his enthusiasm so overwhelming sometimes? Perhaps she was reading too much into it…

Banishing those thoughts, Max headed towards the lunch line to get food and locate her _other_ ridiculously clingy friend. It wasn’t difficult to pick her out of a crowd; her blue hair was a beacon that instantly drew all eyes to her. Or maybe that was just Max’s eyes. Whatever the case, Max found her in an instant, eating lunch surrounded by a small horde of awestruck campers. She was telling some kind of story, waving her hands animatedly. Out of earshot, Max couldn’t hear the words she was saying, but based on the expressions on the faces of the kids around her, it was certainly an interesting one.

Chloe noticed her approach and looked up, a smile on her face. “--And there she is! Ladies and germs, I present to you the mastermind behind our operations, Super Max herself!”

“...Were you telling them about _me_?” Max asked, dumbfounded. She probably didn’t need to; the wide-eyed looks on their faces answered her question well enough.

“Heck yeah! I was telling them how you figured out that the staff always left the doors to the food pantry unlocked after dinner, so one night we snuck in and took all the marshmallows and hot dogs we could carry, and cooked them in the fire pit on the beach! That was totally all you.”

“You’re giving me way too much credit. I only went through with it because you were egging me on the entire time,” Max said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t listen to what she tells you guys about me; she’s the crazy one.”

“Crazy cool, maybe,” Chloe said with a laugh.

“...Anyway, they figured out what we were doing and started locking the door to the pantry after that,” Max said thoughtfully. “I doubt we could do it again. ‘Course, we could always just go to the gas station down the road and _buy_ hot dogs and marshmallows.”

“But then they won’t taste as good! Remember kids, ill-gotten gains are so much more satisfying.” She tapped the side of her nose and winked.

Max gave her a sidelong look. “What kind of role model are you supposed to be?”

“I’m the kind their parents don’t like them to have. Now, which of you wants a tattoo? It’ll cost you money, but I can stick you with a needle for free!” The kids gave assorted displeased screams at the suggestion, and Max shook her head, smiling in disbelief. Chloe had a strange way with them, by being so offensive it straddled the line between cool and parody; she impressed them enough that they listened, but also scared them sufficiently that they wouldn’t try to copy her. Max hoped. If she had Chloe as a camper in her group, she would probably be handing in her resignation letter by the third day.

Thinking back on the kinds of things they used to do when they were campers, Max started to wonder what sorts of trouble they could get themselves into now that they were (sort of; kind of) adults. One way or another, she supposed she was going to find out.

***

After lunch, the kids were turned loose for a couple hours, allowing Max to keep her promise and rendezvous with Warren. She found him outside the Mess Hall, conversing with Daniel and Kate. He noticed her from a distance and gave her a friendly wave as she approached.

“Yo, Max, get over here! Daniel says he’s figured out something really cool,” Warren said, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Okay, so,” Daniel said, “You know the Nature Center, down by the beach, right?” He shot them a conspiratorial look. “Well, it turns out that place gets electricity and there’s no supervision at night. Plus one of the storage rooms is empty. It’s supposed to be locked, but as senior staff I can get the key any time I like.”

“So, that means…”

“I’m thinking we can convert it into our own personal movie theater. On the down-low, of course. Late-night screenings only.”

Kate gave a small smile. “That sounds nice.”

“Yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Warren whooped. “Late-night movies are my jam!”

“What will you do if you get caught, though?” Max wanted to know.

“Well, first of all, I have the only key,” Daniel said, removing it from his pocket with a flourish. “So it’ll stay locked when we’re not using it. And secondly, we can just say it’s an educational tool.”

“Good luck trying to pass Texas Chainsaw Massacre off as an educational nature documentary,” she said with a wry smile.

Warren shrugged. “Nah, I’ll just keep the DVDs themselves in my room. Say they’re sentimental keepsakes, if anybody asks. So, the real question is… do we tell anyone else?”

“You mean, besides the four of us, Brooke, and Chloe?” Daniel asked. “I don’t really want word to spread too far, but I don’t think there would be anything wrong with inviting some of the other counselors, as long as we can trust them.”

“I don’t think we should tell Victoria or Nathan…” said Kate quietly.

“No, you’re right, those two would certainly try to cause trouble,” Daniel agreed. “I wouldn’t mind telling some of the others, but Vic and Nate are kind of the center of that vortex, so they’ll probably get wind of it eventually if word gets out.”

Max felt like she was starting to grasp the social intricacies among the camp staff. “Are they dating?”

“Nathan and Victoria? No. I don’t think so anyway.” Daniel shook his head. “Nathan used to always talk about how he could never understand why a man would choose to see just one woman when he could have several.”

“Blech.” Warren made a face. “Max, do me a favor and don’t get sucked into his vortex, all right?”

“I don’t think I’d want to,” she said, more grateful than ever that she hadn’t gone to that party last night. Still, she wondered if that was all there was to know about them. From what she could remember of them as campers, they hadn’t always been mean. But maybe she was being too idealistic and she just needed to accept that people changed as they got older.

Speaking of people changing… “Guys, I should probably go check on Chloe, to make sure she hasn’t started actually giving tattoos to the campers like she threatened to do earlier,” Max said.

“Geez, talk about high maintenance,” Warren quipped. Max shot him a look and he shrugged. “What? I’m just saying that you’re always running off to check on her, like she’s your responsibility or something.”

“Chloe always seemed like she could take care of herself,” Daniel said, “But that was when she was with Rachel, so I guess it doesn’t surprise me that she’d be different now that Rachel isn’t here anymore.”

Curiosity tugged at Max. “What was Rachel like?”

“Rachel was so nice,” Kate said. “All of the campers liked her, too. She was really polite to everybody, and a good leader.”

“Yeah,” Warren agreed, “she was great. She was really pretty too. I think almost everyone in camp had the hots for her at some point.” Warren’s tone indicated that he had probably felt that way, himself.

“Warren!” Kate scolded.

“What? Don’t deny it, I’m sure you admired her as much as we all did,” Warren said. “Rachel was chill, she got along with almost everyone. Not that it mattered, though, since she only hung out with Chloe most of the time. Those two were almost never apart.”

“It’s kind of strange, seeing Chloe on her own,” Daniel added. “I pretty much only knew her from before as part of the Rachel-and-Chloe unit. None of us really knew her all that well besides that.”

Max felt a feeling twist in the pit of her stomach that she recognized as jealousy. But really, what right did she have to be jealous? Chloe had had every right to move on after Max left Arcadia. Max should be happy that Chloe was able to find somebody who could give her the friendship that she had before; that didn’t stop her from feeling weird about it.

“What do you think happened to her? Why didn’t she come back?” Max asked.

“Dunno,” Warren said. “Maybe she found another job, something that pays better. With her looks and personality, she could be a model or an actress, easily. I kinda always wondered why she bothered to spend her summers here in the backwoods and not, like, making millions on the silver screen.” He shrugged. “Everyone moves on eventually. Not me, though. I’m gonna be chasing kids and counting heads until the day I die.”

“I’m sure Chloe would know where Rachel is,” Daniel added. “Why don’t you ask her?”

“That’s just the thing,” Max said. “Chloe has no idea. She hasn’t heard anything from Rachel since last year.”

A cold breeze blew past, or perhaps that was just Max’s imagination. Warren looked surprised. “Wow, damn. That’s weird,” he said.

“I wonder if something happened,” mused Daniel. “I can’t imagine her not telling Chloe. I thought those two shared everything together. That must be really hard on her.”

“She… didn’t take the news very well.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “No wonder you’re checking on her so much.”

“Yeah, I should really go do that,” Max said, stepping backwards away from the circle.

“Fair ‘nough,” Warren said, flashing Max a smile. “Go tend to your wayward roomie. And hey, Max, I hope to see you at the inaugural screening at our new Arcadia Cinema!”

Max reassured him that yes, she definitely would, and turned to leave. As she did, she felt a tap on her shoulder; she turned to see Kate Marsh standing by her side.

“Max,” she said, “About Chloe. It's going to be really hard for her without Rachel, so she needs somebody right now. So look after her, all right?”

“Of course,” Max told her.

“I don’t think that it’s a coincidence you came back to Arcadia this year. You and Chloe… are connected. Don’t let her go.”

“I won’t,” she said, her voice cracking. “Not ever. I promise.”


	6. Sharing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe celebrate old traditions and start some new ones. A musical chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we get started, a few notes.
> 
> Firstly, this fic is _finished!_ ...Well, sort of. I've been working on it for NaNoWriMo and successfully completed a rough draft of the entire story. I'm still editing it, so I'll be putting up chapters one by one after I'm done editing them. I have a lot more written that I can't wait to share with you all!
> 
> Secondly, I drew up a [map of Camp Arcadia](http://pirates-of-arcadia-bay.tumblr.com/image/134307140366) for your reference and viewing pleasure. You can see previews of some places and things that will be in future chapters, too.
> 
> And finally, I'd like to think every last one of you who left comments, kudos, and feedback -- you make it all worthwhile. I'd especially like to thank [punk-rock-science](http://punk-rock-science.tumblr.com/) for betaing this and other chapters. It really means a lot, so thank you! :D
> 
> Okay, that's enough about that; on with the story!

The bonfire in the center of the Arcadia green was lit again, but this evening instead of just the twenty or so counselors the area was filled with over a hundred campers, all of them chattering and yelling and running amok. Max knew immediately that it would be impossible to locate her particular twelve out of the crowd; she just hoped they all could recognize her when the time came to gather them all up again.

She had memories of convocation from when she was a camper, of how everyone held hands in a giant circle and sang the [camp song](https://youtu.be/gBkTo5T7BcQ). It had always been a special moment for her when she was younger, as it signaled the start of her favorite two weeks of the year. Though now, she figured, it would probably soon lose its luster since she’d have to repeat it every two weeks as new cohorts of campers arrived. Still, this moment, in the flickering firelight and the gathering dusk, felt like it held a sort of powerful potential.

“...Hey.” A gentle bump on her shoulder caused Max to turn her head. Chloe was standing there -- or maybe she’d always been there and Max had just been too lost in thought to notice. Chloe looked contemplative as well, an expression that was at odds with her punk rock appearance. She looked Max up and down. “What’s up, Mad Max? You look like something’s on your mind.”

“I wonder if the song they sing has changed at all?”

“The one about the mountains and the flowers and all the boom-de-yada bullshit? Nah, it’s still the same as ever. We used to make up new lyrics for it, because it got kinda old. Uh, I mean… that was after you left, so…”

“You and Rachel, I know,” she said quietly. She didn’t like reminding Chloe of the other girl but she supposed it was unavoidable. Despite her absence from camp, it felt like Rachel Amber was as present as ever. There was a heavy silence for long moment, which Max tried to break. “...What would you say instead?”

“It was stupid, just some immature teenage shit. Wouldn’t really be funny anymore, not without…” Chloe looked away.

“Chloe?” Max felt the urge to reach out and take her hand again, but she held back. “About Rachel…”

Chloe’s eyes flashed. “I don’t need your pity, Max. I’m fine. I already got enough shit from Victoria Chase earlier today; I don’t need you to whine and simper at me like I’m some poor, sad girl who can’t take care of herself. I know that she’s gone, so you don’t have to rub it in, all right?” Her voice got louder; Max was worried that the campers might take notice, but it didn’t seem like any of them had.

“All right,” Max said, feeling chastened by Chloe’s anger. “...Why don’t we make up some new ones together, instead?”

“...Huh?”

“You know, new words to the song,” Max said, her confidence growing. Mustering up her best singing voice, she began, “ _I love the mountains, I love the clear blue sky…_ ”

“Oh, no. Stop. Stop singing.”

“ _I love your booty, damn girl that ass is fly,_ ” She continued, and Chloe burst out laughing.

“Oh my God, noooooo,” Chloe protested. “Stop singing. Stop it or I will die, I’ll literally die Max and it’ll be your fault.”

“ _I love to stare at it, when you turn your back to me,_ ” she sang. “ _Boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada, boom de yada..._ "

Chloe was laughing so hard she had to bend over and lean on a log to keep from falling over completely. “That’s it, Max. I’m dead, and you killed me. Thanks a lot.”

“Well?” Max raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s your turn. Make up a verse.”

“Nuh-uh, no way. I’m not gonna. Ugh, fine,” she said, looking at Max's expression. Chloe rolled her eyes and deadpanned, “ _I love the mountains, I love the stars in space..._ ”

“That’s it!” Max grinned, encouraging her.

“ _I love the freckles, all across your pretty face. I love your stupid jokes, all the dumb shit you say,_ ” she continued, off key. “ _Boom de yada, boom de yada…_ ”

“ _Boom de yada, boom de yada,_ ” Max joined in along with her, “ _boom de yada, boom de yada…_ ” They sang in harmony briefly before collapsing into laughter at the same time. Rubbing at her eyes, Max said, “Chloe, that was so cute and sweet! You’re good at this.”

“I’m not cute or sweet. I’m punk rock,” Chloe protested with a pout, but she seemed content. The two of them sat down on the logs. Max tried to calm the fluttering feeling in her chest and tell herself that it wasn’t because Chloe had called her pretty. It was just a song, so she shouldn’t read into it too much… probably. It was a good thing the sun had set, because Max was fairly sure that otherwise, her blush would have been visible from space.

Taking out her camera from its bag became a convenient excuse to hide the blush on her face. Max wanted something to remember this moment by -- although, she had already taken so many pictures, she'd practically gone through an entire pack of film in only a day. Never one to deny a photo impulse however, she peered through the viewfinder until she found the shot she was looking for: the indistinct bodies of campers and counselors clustered around the firepit, with the light of the fire blooming across the scene. In the foreground, Chloe's bright blue hair stood out from all the other colors.

[SNAP!]

The murmur of conversation among the crowd dimmed to a whisper as Director Wells stepped into the firelight. He signaled for silence and then spread his arms wide to deliver the opening address and welcome them all to Arcadia.

Max wasn't listening to his words very much, though; rather, her attention was focused on the girl sitting beside her, who was still quietly humming the tune to the song. Just being in her presence again after so many years filled Max with an indescribable joy. There was one thing Max was certain of: intentionally or not, she had just become part of a new Camp Arcadia tradition.

***

After convocation was over, they collected the Deer group together (one, two, three… twelve) and began the walked back to Carson cabin. Max’s chest was still thrumming as she remembered the whole camp standing in one big circle, hands joined together and voices drowning out the sound of the crackling bonfire. Now, though, night had fallen, which meant the bugs were out in force again, the sounds of crickets and grasshoppers just as loud as birdsong during the day. Max idly swatted at a mosquito on her forearm. Towards the back of the group, she heard a few of the girls complaining about the bugs.

“I hope you all remembered to bring bug spray,” she said to the group. “It’ll be your responsibility to remember to use it. Of course, I’ll remind you, too.”

"Gross! I hate bugs!" said one of the girls

“I don’t like this,” said another. “I miss my mom. I wanna go home.”

Max wasn’t sure how to respond at first, so she was grateful when Chloe spoke up. “Hey, I know how you feel. But complaining about the bugs won't make them go away. Believe me -- I've tried." She shook a fist at the empty air. "Bug off, you hear me?" Some of the girls giggled at that. Chloe spun around and walked backwards, facing the gaggle of campers who were following behind. "Listen, It's okay to feel nervous on your first day. I was hella scared, too, when I first got here. I didn't like the bugs, or the heat, or the food."

"Hey," objected Max from the front of the pack, "the food here is pretty good, though. I mean, it could be a lot worse."

"Yeah, I'll grant that it's better than Fancy Feast. But compared to the stuff Joyce makes, I wouldn't call it five-star cuisine," Chloe said. "You're talking to a punk who has very discerning tastes."

"No way. I'm calling bull," Max said over her shoulder. "I've seen you devour an entire bag of marshmallows in one sitting."

Chloe shrugged. "Everybody's got a vice. Mine just happens to be air-puffed sugar and gelatin. What's your point?"

"Can we have marshmallows?" asked a girl.

"Maybe later. But let’s get inside first, away from the bugs, ‘kay?” They had arrived at Carson cabin. Max held the door as the girls filed inside, blinking in the light before filing into their own individual rooms. Chloe called out, “Meeting in the common room in ten minutes! Be there or be square!”

Max stepped inside her and Chloe’s room, flicking on the light. Once the door was closed, she breathed a sigh and collapsed onto the bed. It felt like the first moment she’d had to herself since taking photos on the lake shore that morning. It hadn’t been the most physically exhausting day, but all of the thoughts and experiences of the day were making her head spin. She breathed a deep breath and reached for her MP3 player. As soon as she put her earbuds in and [pressed play](https://youtu.be/3j8YKuhDCgA), she felt her whole body relax.

So much had happened that day, her head was still spinning from it. The stressful confrontation with Nathan Prescott during breakfast, the pressures of her new job, and the worry over Chloe being on thin ice due to the disappearance of Rachel Amber were all fresh in her mind. But, as Max lay there, she reminded herself that things that day weren't all bad, like the photos she had taken on the secret shore in the morning, or the conversation she'd had with Warren as well as her new friends Daniel and Kate. The memory of singing songs with Chloe was freshest and brightest in her memories.

Knowing that if she simply stayed there and kept listening, she was at risk of falling asleep, she forced herself to sit up. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out all of the polaroids she’d taken that day. There was the fish under the water, and then Chloe by the lake shore… the campers moving in, the bonfire on the green, and Chloe leaning against the side of Carson cabin, looking off into the distance. Seeing the picture of Chloe, Max wondered what the other girl had been thinking when the picture was taken. She set to work writing the dates on the corners of every photograph and pinning them to the wall above her bed. She’d gotten a good number today, far more than she would take on an average day back home. There was something about this place that made her want to take photos in every moment.

As she was putting up the last picture, Max heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” she called, and the door opened to reveal Chloe, who had changed into a ragged tank top and boxer shorts and wore a towel around her head; she’d just taken a shower.

“Yo,” Chloe said, inclining her head. “There’s a shower stall free, if you wanna use it before they get all gross.” Max tried not to look too hard at the strands of wet blue hair that had fallen free from the towel, or the water droplet that ran down the side of her face, along her neck and into her shirt. She had to suppress the urge to take a photo; otherwise she’d risk wasting half her film on the first day alone. Why did she always want to take pictures of Chloe, everywhere and anywhere they went? It was becoming a problem…

While Max was absentmindedly staring at her with glazed eyes, Chloe approached her photo wall.

“Yo, you took all these today? This is some hella nice work, Max!” She examined the candid picture of herself leaning against the cabin. “This was the one you took when I wasn’t looking, right?”

“Yeah. What were you thinking then?”

“Huh? Oh… I think I was thinking about how badly I wanted a cigarette.”

“...You smoke now?”

“Yeah. Sometimes.” Chloe must have seen something in Max’s expression, because she said, “Oh, don’t give me that look. I don’t do it around the campers, promise.”

“It’s not that… I just…” Max found herself struggling for words. “I'm surprised, is all. You’ve changed from when we were kids.”

“Yeah, no shit. It’s called getting five years older while you were away.” Chloe exhaled through her nose; Max could tell she was mildly irritated. She always wore her emotions on her sleeve.

Max took a breath. “I’m sor--”

“Don’t you dare apologize, Max Caulfield,” Chloe interrupted. “It’s fine. Keep taking your dorky photos. These came out nice,” she said, touching the corner of the one she’d been looking at before, of her by the cabin. A beat. Then, “Hey, we should call the campers, it’s about time.” She straightened up and walked to the door.

“Right,” Max agreed, getting up off her bed. She reached for her acoustic guitar where it hung on the coat rack by her bed, took it out of its case and brought it with her to the common room.

***

“Is everybody here?” Max asked, quickly tallying up the girls that were spread out in a misshapen circle, on couches or on pillows on the floor. All of them seemed to be present, so she smiled and took a seat on the ground, laying her guitar across her lap. “Okay. I know this has been a crazy day for everyone, so let’s just… relax and unwind, all right?” She dragged her fingers across the strings. “I’ll play, and you all get to talk. That’s why this is called Sharing Time.” She started to play [a simple tune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLhZx8rjTYc).

“Okay,” Chloe said, picking up where Max left off. “The game for tonight is called ‘rose, thorn, bud.’ We’re gonna go around the circle and when it’s your turn, say your name, and you say one cool thing that happened today -- that’s a rose, and something that wasn’t cool -- that’s a thorn, and whatever you’re looking forward to, which is a bud. Got it? Now you go.” She nudged the girl to her left.

“Do I have to go first?” she complained, looking up at Chloe.

“Yeah, that’s kinda how this works.”

“Fine. I’m Amy,” the girl said, and Max recognized her from earlier; she was the one in twin braids, who had been arguing with her bunkmate when Max met her. “I liked playing soccer in the field today. But I didn’t get the top bunk, like I wanted. And, um. Something I’m looking forward to… is… the rock climbing wall! Yeah!” The girl concluded with a smile on her face, and Max started to understand why Chloe had picked that game in particular.

They continued around the circle. Some of the girls were so shy that they would only say their names and couldn’t think of anything else. Chloe, leading the discussion, seemed to have an intuitive knowledge of which girls needed encouragement to speak versus which ones would rather be left alone. Max mainly stayed quiet and finger-picked her song, grateful for the excuse the guitar gave her to passively observe the circle. Watching Chloe with the kids gave her a newfound admiration of her abilities; who’d have thought she’d be so good at connecting with them? A rational part of Max’s mind told her: she probably learned it from Rachel.

Some of the girls were happier to be there than others. A few of them had only negative things to say; that they missed their friends, or their families, or they didn’t want to be there. Whenever that happened, Chloe stepped in to provide a positive suggestion, in order to not drag down the discussion with complaining. By the time the last girl had shared her thoughts, Max could see more than a few campers were struggling to keep their heads up. A couple of girls had even collapsed on the floor or cocooned themselves up in their blankets. Max strummed a few final cords and laid her guitar to rest on her lap.

“Okay. I think we’re all kinda tired, so that’s the end of Sharing Time for tonight,” Max told the group, fighting a yawn herself. “Make sure to brush your teeth before you go to bed.”

“Also, make sure keep your window screens shut tight,” Chloe added. “‘Cause nobody wants bugs in their room.”

“If you need anything, we’re in the room at the end of the hallway,” Max said, pointing at their door.

“But, like, only if it’s a real serious emergency.” Chloe yawned wide, belatedly remembering to cover her mouth as an afterthought. “Your counselors need their beauty sleep too, got it?”

“--If you’re feeling lonely or scared, we’re here to help,” Max said, shooting Chloe a look. “Sleep well, we’ll see you in the morning.” The girls got up and dispersed to their rooms and the bathrooms, shuffling zombielike in their slippers and blankets. Max watched them go with a contented smile. Once most of them were out of the room, Chloe stood up and went to sit down at Max’s side; she was pleasantly surprised when she leaned her blue-haired head against her shoulder.

“What’s up, sleepyhead?” Max said fondly.

“Tired. You’re warm,” Chloe said, her usually snappish attitude dulled by sleep.

“I guess staying up for midnight adventures is a no, then,” Max teased her gently.

“Ha ha. How do you even still have energy left. I nearly fell asleep right there in that circle,” Chloe said. Max could feel the vibrations of Chloe talking against her shoulder. She wasn’t typically accustomed to sharing physical affection like this, but it only felt a little strange. After all, this was the sort of thing she and Chloe used to do all the time as kids; they fit together nearly as well now as they did back then. It was strange, Max thought, that their boundaries weren’t larger given the years between them; instead, the re-integration of Chloe into her life was nearly seamless.

Well, not entirely seamless -- Max was noticing the scars of her five-year absence more and more, and all of them bore the name Rachel Amber. She gave a sigh and leaned into the weight on her shoulder. A distant part of her brain reminded her that they should probably go to bed before they both passed out in the common room. But a far louder part insisted that she should remain for a minute longer, listening to the gentle sounds of her friend’s breathing.

Max closed her eyes for just a second. She’d get up when she was ready.


	7. High Ropes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe encounter some trouble when they are forced to partner with Nathan Prescott's group for the day's activity, and someone takes "high ropes" a bit too literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been amended with regards to content that will be in this and future chapters, so please keep that in mind. Also, slight warning for some harsh language in this one; Nathan has a potty mouth.

“Man, can you believe this crap?” Chloe said, holding the laminated weekly schedule out in front of her with a look of disapproval. All around them, the sounds of clinking silverware and the chatter of breakfast conversation could be heard. The campers were clustered around two tables in the Mess Hall, eating their plates of scrambled eggs, waffles, and bacon. Max was secretly impressed at how much food a ten-year-old girl could put away. But, they were growing kids, after all.

Max swallowed a mouthful of waffle before speaking. “What’s wrong? Is there something up with the schedule?”

“Our activity for today is the zipline and the high ropes course. With the Badgers,” Chloe complained, rolling her eyes. “Whoever planned this thing deserves to be shot.”

“That would be Mr. Wells, I think,” Max mused. “And would you mind explaining to your poor, naive roomie what’s so wrong with our activity assignment?”

“Two things,” said Chloe. “One, high ropes is hella scary for a new kid. Most of the little shits still had a hard time leaving the cabin this morning. How many of ‘em do you think are gonna want to get hoisted 50 feet in the air?” Max nodded, and she continued, “And secondly, the Badger group are the boys in the Audubon cabin. _Prescott’s_ cabin. Meaning, we’re gonna have to share the course with Nathan. And all his little brats.”

“Oh, yeah, Nathan,” Max muttered, looking down at her mostly-empty plate, recalling the confrontation they’d had in the dining hall the other day.

“If I have to spend an entire day playing nice with that douche, I’m gonna snap and go ballistic on his ass,” Chloe growled, dropping her fork onto the table with a clatter.

“I don’t hate Nathan, actually,” Max replied quietly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her. “Really? Even after that shit-fit he threw at breakfast when you didn’t attend his super-special party on the first night? Wow, Max, you’re a stronger soul than me. I’ve hated people over much less.”

“No, but…,” Max sighed and pushed her plate away. The animosity pouring off Chloe in waves was ruining her appetite. With Chloe still staring at her in disbelief, she continued, “Remember when he was a kid? Our groups used to do activities together all the time.”

“I remember he was a brat back then, too,” Chloe stated, “Now he’s an even bigger brat, with a drug habit, who still gets put in charge of kids for some reason. It’s total bull.” Chloe leaned back in her chair and exhaled in frustration. “Just ‘cause his dad is one of Arcadia’s biggest donors, he gets a get-out-of-jail-free card whenever he gets caught dicking around. Which is all the time. But for the rest of us proles, one step out of line and you get wrung through the Wells meat grinder.”

“Has Nathan ever gotten in trouble before?”

“Yeah, for drinking beers in broad daylight, on the green.” Chloe scoffed. “They basically gave him a slap on the wrist. It’s sickening. They know he uses Audubon as party central on the weekends the campers aren’t there, but they just don’t give a crap. And as for the rest of us -- you get caught smoking one freaking cigarette, suddenly they’re threatening to cut your pay and call your parents. Not like Joyce would give a shit.” Chloe expressed her rage by grabbing her fork and stabbing angrily at her breakfast.

At the mention of Joyce, Max was tempted to ask about Chloe’s home life, but she decided against it. It was an unspoken agreement between them that whatever drama or bullshit that happened in their lives outside of the camp wasn’t talked about. Chloe had mentioned that things back at home weren’t going great, and Max wasn’t about to press her on it unless she was the one who brought it up. Camp Arcadia was a place that meant many things, and one of them was an escape.

“Maybe we could switch with another group,” Max suggested. She reached out her hand and Chloe passed her the schedule. Frowning at the other group activities, she said, “Look, the Otters are doing Arts and Crafts today. That’s Kate and Brooke’s group. Maybe they’ll be willing to trade with us if we ask nicely.”

“Ever full of brilliant ideas, Max,” Chloe said, giving a small smile for the first time since she’d seen the schedule. “It’s worth a shot, anyway.”

Max nodded and finally turned back to finish off her breakfast, her appetite restored with the disappearance of Chloe’s bad mood. As she got up to put away her dishes, she scanned the room for Kate and Brooke’s group. She spotted them at a table by the window and wove her way in between the dining tables to approach them. They were leading the Otter group in some kind of game which involved tapping a rhythm out on the table. Max remembered the rules, vaguely, but could not recall what the game was called. Kate had a young girl seated in her lap.

“Hey, good morning Max,” she said cheerfully as she noticed her approach, and gave a little wave. The girl on her lap waved too.

“Hey, everybody,” Max said, smiling. “Mind if I sit?”

“Go right ahead,” said Brooke, gesturing at the empty chair to her left. Max sat down. “So, what’s up?”

“It’s about today’s schedule. Your group is doing arts and crafts, right?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna do wood burnings today I think. Everyone’s gonna get a piece of wood with their name etched in it for their dorm.” Brooke nodded. “What about your group? That’s the Deer, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the thing,” Max said, looking a little sheepish. “We’ve got High Ropes for today with the Badgers. Chloe and I agree that some of the girls aren’t ready for that kind of craziness this early on in the first week, so I came over to ask if you guys would be willing to switch with us for today.”

“ _No!_ ” exclaimed Kate immediately, slamming her hands on the table and causing the silverware to clatter on her plate. The girl sitting on her lap gave a start in surprise. “...Sorry,” she said, both to the camper and to Max. “It’s… not that High Ropes isn’t fun, but…” Kate looked away. “I can’t explain now, so ask me about it later.”

“Sorry, looks like we can’t help you out,” Brooke said, turning to Max with a genuinely apologetic look.

Max gave a shrug. “That’s okay. It was a pretty big favor to ask, anyway. You guys have fun with Arts and Crafts.”

“See ya at lunch, Max,” Brooke said, waving as she got up and left. As Max crossed the dining room to return to Chloe, she thought about Kate’s immediate and abrupt refusal. It probably didn’t have anything to do with the nature of the activity, but rather the group they were doing it with. Did Kate have a history with Nathan? That would explain why she wasn’t willing to talk about it in front of the campers. Max resolved to ask her about it later, in a less public setting.

Already knowing what Chloe’s reaction would be, Max begrudgingly crossed the hall again to tell her the news.

***

If keeping track of twelve girls was a headache, then watching all twenty-six campers from the Badger and Deer groups combined was nothing short of a waking nightmare. Try as Max might to keep them from pulling each others’ hair, randomly shouting swear words at the top of their lungs, and blatantly leaving the room where they were supposed to be waiting for the safety instructor, she felt like they weren’t listening to a word she was saying. Chloe was playing her part, grabbing the two boys who had tried to sneak off and dragging them back into the room by the sleeves of their shirts. The boys’ counselors, Hayden and Nathan, seemed to take a more Laissez-Faire approach to their supervision; as far as Max could tell, they straight-up didn’t give a shit. They stood off to the side in one corner of the room, holding some kind of conversation that was too quiet to hear and occasionally pointing at something and laughing. She seethed with frustration.

“Hey, why don’t we play a game,” suggested Max, trying to keep her exasperation under the surface. “It’s called the Quiet game, where we see who can go the longest without shouting at the top of their lungs.”

“That game is boring!” yelled a boy. “I’m bored! When can we go on the zip-line?”

“You’ll go on the zip-line after Mr. Madsen explains how to use a safety harness,” she told him, as gently and patiently as she could.

“I did that last year, I don’t need to do it again,” he whined.

“You’ll do it if you don’t wanna fall off and crack your head open,” Chloe told him. Max noticed the fear flash in some of the girls’ eyes.

“The high ropes course is completely, totally safe,” she reassured them. “That is, as long as you pay attention and make sure you follow safety precautions. Mr. Madsen will explain everything, and then we can go and have fun.” The girls were still afraid; Max would consider it a victory if even half of them were willing to try it.

After a few more minutes of barely-contained madness, David Madsen arrived, panting and out-of-breath from having run across camp to get there. Max remembered him from her years as a camper; he was a quiet, serious man who seemed to care deeply about the kids’ well-being even if he was rather gruff. Other than some white hairs in his moustache and around his hairline, he was pretty much the same as Max remembered.

David caught his breath, got the kids’ attention and began explaining to them what a carabiner was and how to use it. As he talked, the four counselors stood awkwardly off to the side. Chloe, ever ready to start shit at a moment’s notice, turned to Nathan and Hayden and hissed, “Thanks for helping with the kids, you guys really are just _so great_ at your jobs.”

“No problem,” said Hayden neutrally, and Max honestly couldn’t tell if he was joking or if Chloe’s sarcasm had gone over his head. Nathan only grunted in response, his eyes narrowed. Looking at the pair of them for a few moments, Max noticed something that she hadn’t before -- a certain sluggishness in their movements, a delay in their reactions, and a slight redness in their eyes.

Max tapped at Chloe’s shoulder and motioned that they should talk in private. Chloe nodded, and the two of them slipped out of the room where they thought no one was watching. Once they were in the hallway and mostly out of earshot, Max leaned in to her ear and said in a low whisper, “Chloe, I think they’re totally stoned right now.”

“What? Seriously?” Chloe glanced back at the other room. “Ugh, this is _so_ like him. And they didn’t even offer to share any. Assholes.”

“Um, shouldn’t we be more concerned?” Max wondered, then realized that she was maybe speaking louder than she should be. She dropped her voice back to a whisper. “I mean, we do literally have campers’ lives in our hands…”

“Oh, yeah, totally,” Chloe said, but she sounded insincere all of a sudden as she bit her lip. Max noticed the nervous action, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked.

“No,” she said too quickly. Max just raised an eyebrow at her in reply. “...Maybe,” she sighed, her eyes darting around the empty hallway. She took a deep breath and finally said, in a barely-audible whisper, “I… _might_ have sold them that weed, alright?”

“...What?!” Max pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Chloe…”

“I don’t need a lecture, okay? I needed some quick cash, and Nathan’s got plenty to spare.”

“Just, please don’t tell me you’re selling drugs out of our room,” Max said.

“Shhh, keep it down!” Chloe gestured frantically for her to be quiet. “No, I’m not, I’ve got another place that’s more secure where no one will find it. At least, it _would_ be secure if those douchebags weren’t high in plain sight on the day we’re working together with them.”

“I guess we can’t report them…”

“Mutually assured destruction. If we snitch, they’re guaranteed to sell me out. Max, I said this before, but I can’t take another strike on my record! Whereas Prescott can do whatever the fuck he wants with zero repercussions. The system’s fucked.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you began _selling weed at camp!_ ” Max hissed at her. Chloe glared silently back; Max sighed and pressed a palm to her forehead, resigned. “Okay, let’s just… stay calm, and go back inside,” she said pragmatically. “We can’t do anything about it now, so we just gotta be twice as careful as usual.”

“Those pricks. Of course they would, on the day that we’re forced to work together,” Chloe grumbled, and followed Max back into the room where David Madsen was helping the kids into their safety harnesses. He looked up and saw them enter, and after tightening the harness, he crossed the room over to them, eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know if, in your world, safety is optional, but when campers are involved there’s no excuse for not taking it seriously,” he told them with a frown. “What was so important that it couldn’t wait until at the end of my safety lecture? The other group’s counselors listened respectfully the whole way through. I don’t appreciate you girls treating this like it’s not important.”

“Sorry, Mr. Madsen,” Max spoke up before Chloe could snap something even more damaging to their reputations. “...It was a personal emergency, and it’s been taken care of.” She put on her sweetest, most angelic look, hoping to placate the security instructor. “Of course, both of us have done this for years, so we know how to make sure campers are safe. Plus, I’m CPR certified.”

“What, really?” Chloe asked, looking at her with a smirk. “Wow, now that’s a mental image: Max giving mouth-to-mouth to a CPR dummy.” David Madsen glared at her and her smile fell.

“Hmph. I can’t control if you girls want to play fast and loose with safety measures,” he said gruffly. “It anything happens to any of the children -- in your group or theirs -- you will be held responsible. Understand, soldiers?”

“Y-yes, sir,” Max said, her courage shriveling up under David’s stern glare.

“Aye-aye, captain,” Chloe said with a half-assed salute. Apparently satisfied, he gave them both a nod, then made a motion with his hand to indicate he’d be watching them. When he was across the room with his back turned, Chloe scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Can you believe this shit? They’re the ones dicking around, and we still get in trouble for it.”

“Enough, Chloe,” Max said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Chloe seemed to be constantly full of rage at something today. “Let’s just try to keep all the campers safe, for now.” She picked up one of the helmets and several of the harnesses.

“Hey, Max,” Chloe said suddenly, a playful look in her eyes. “If I was having a heart attack, would you give me mouth-to-mouth?”

Max blinked, taken aback by the question at first, and then smiled. “Of course I would, you lunatic. Now, help me with these harnesses.”

***

The Great Arcadia Zip-line stretched across a wide yet shallow river which fed into the Bay. A ride on it took approximately 20 seconds, not counting the climb up to the starting platform in the trees. The most difficult part was definitely the first step off of the platform into thin air; from there, gravity and momentum did all the work. After ten or so pulse-pounding, blood-rushing seconds of excitement, feet skimming over empty air and the river below, the zip-line crossed to the far bank, the exciting ride coming to a crunchy stop as feet drag across the pine needles and mulch on the far side. There were grooves in the earth from countless campers stopping in that exact spot.

Looking out across the river from the starting platform in the trees, Max swallowed a rush of emotion, mingled nostalgia and vertigo. As a kid, she’d been so afraid to take that first step, worried that the line would snap and send her plunging into the river. Of course, rationally she knew that neither of those fears were reasonable; the line was far stronger than that, bolted to an ancient, steadfast oak and able to carry more than eight hundred pounds. The river, too, was shallow and slow-moving, four feet at its deepest point, so that even if she fell in, it wouldn’t be so bad. But the initial drop, the temporary loss of control before the feeling of flight kicks in; that was the really scary part. Still, after the first couple of rides, that fear melted away and left her craving the adrenaline rush and the feeling of flying.

Of course, she’d never have taken that first dizzying step into thin air without Chloe’s encouragement.

There were five of them on that platform: the four counselors, and David Madsen. The campers waited around the base of the tree, displaying varying degrees of enthusiasm and apprehension at the prospect of riding the zipline.

“I’m gonna need two of you to make the trip across first, to catch the campers as they reach the opposite side,” Mr. Madsen said.

“I’ll go,” drawled Nathan, stepping forward. He was wearing sunglasses, which both hid the redness in his eyes and more than quadrupled his douchebag aura. David wordlessly hooked his harness to the carabiner, gave it a tug to make sure it was secure, then signaled the all-clear.

Nathan walked to the edge of the platform and turned to face the rest of them. Making twin guns with his hands, he struck what he thought was a cool pose and spoke, as he stepped backwards off the platform, “Catch you on the other side, suckaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA--”

His screams dopplering off into the distance, Max gave an involuntary laugh as she noticed his sunglasses fly off his face and land with a plunk in the middle of the river. Hayden, too, gave a wheezy laugh which turned into a coughing fit, causing David to look at him funny. A muffled crunch of mulch on the other side indicated Nathan had made a safe landing. As he unhooked his harness and David began pulling the zip back to the starting platform, Chloe turned to Max and raised an eyebrow.

“So, which of us is it gonna be, sista?” she asked, inclining her head. “Will we get to see the return of Super Max?”

Recalling the fate of Nathan’s sunglasses, Max clutched the bag which contained her expensive instant camera to her chest. “I think I’ll sit this one out. Besides, I want to see you fly!”

“How could I say no to that?” She gave Max a grin. “Okay, Dave, hook me up!”

Mr. Madsen grumbled at the nickname -- Max could make out the words “insubordinate punk” -- but he dutifully hooked Chloe’s harness to the line and checked to ensure that everything was secure. Once he gave her the okay, Chloe strode to the edge of the platform.

“Yo, don’t take your eyes off me, ‘aight? This bird’s gotta fly,” Chloe said. She turned to face the river and spread her arms out, as if preparing for a swan dive. Max, camera already in hand, knew a perfect shot when she saw it.

[SNAP!]

The camera shutter clicked just as Chloe took the plunge, the platform rattling a little as she kicked off. Her whoops of excitement echoed across the river as she flew off into the distance. For a second, Max’s heart was pounding in her throat; she’d never admit the relief that she felt when she heard the distant sound of a safe landing.

Exhaling a sigh of relief that she didn’t realize she was holding, Max gently placed her camera back in its bag and climbed down the ladder to help up the campers who wanted to ride on the zip line. After seeing their counselors make the trip safely, several of the campers who were nervous or on the fence were enthusiastic about getting their turn. Max handed out helmets and offered words of encouragement as the first two campers climbed up to the platform in the trees, preparing to make the jump.

***

On the other side of the river, Chloe and Nathan were coldly eyeing one another, saying nothing. Nathan seemed downcast at the loss of his sunglasses. Chloe, hands on her hips, watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand-rolled joint and a lighter. Her upper lip curled in irritation as she watched him light it and take a deep drag.

“Wow, you really are that fucking stupid,” she said, rolling her eyes. “God, I cannot believe you’d think to pull this shit on the day I’m forced to spend time with you.”

“Calm your tits, bitchface,” Nathan told her, exhaling smoke. “No one’s gonna know or care.”

“You really think your campers won’t know what fucking weed smells like? Hello?!”

“God, what crawled up your ass and died today.” Nathan rolled his eyes and took another puff. “Look, I’m not tryna start shit. Hade and I just wanted to have fun today, all right? Jesus, you could try not being such a pissy dyke all the time.”

“Don’t make me strangle your sissy little neck,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

Nathan gestured with the burning end of the joint. “I mean, gotta hand it to you, you managed to score some really good dope this year. Good on you to pick up where Rachel left off -- this place would be the pits if we didn’t have someone here to keep us supplied. Too bad about what happened to her, though.”

Chloe gave a start. “You know what happened?”

Nathan shrugged. “No more than you do. My guess is, she got sick of your clingy lesbian shit and fucked off somewhere better. But hey, at least now you’ve got Max to glom onto, instead.” He took another drag, apparently unconcerned by Chloe’s white-knuckled rage. “Jesus, your face looks _fucked up_. Here, have a hit. It might mellow even _you_ out a little.” He extended his arm, holding out the joint to her.

Chloe nonchalantly reached out to take it from between his fingers. She immediately threw it to the ground, grinding it into the dirt with the heel of her combat boot.

“What the fuck?!” Nathan cried out in distress. “You _bitch_ , that was still almost full! You’ll fucking pay for that!”

Chloe gave a dismissive shrug. “Oh, look,” she said serenely, pointing at the opposite shore of the river. “here comes a camper. Get ready.”

Swearing and muttering threats under his breath, Nathan begrudgingly moved into position to catch the next kid who came down the line. Chloe still felt unsettled by what he’d said about Rachel, but the look on Nathan’s face when she’d destroyed his joint had made her feel a lot better. If being paired with the Badgers meant she got to fuck with Nathan’s head every time, she wouldn’t object to having to work together more often.

***

One by one, the campers rode the zipline across the river. After seeing the first few brave campers make the trip safely to the other side, most of the campers stopped being afraid and were eagerly jockeying for their turn to go. They formed a line that stretched from the base of the ladder and on down the path. Max stood at ground level in order to keep a closer watch over them, and also to help spot them as they climbed up to the platform in the trees.

Towards the end of the line, around a corner and out of her line of sight, Max heard a commotion. She assisted the camper who was climbing the ladder, then walked over to the source of the noise, where three of the boy campers were standing in a circle. As she approached, she realized that there was a fourth boy in the center of the circle, on his hands and knees.

“Pick up all the pieces, already, you weenie!” taunted one of them, nudging the boy in the center with his foot.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a dork, it wouldn’t have got shredded, huh?” said another. “This is all your fault.”

Max felt her blood rushing in her ears. It was obvious that these boys were bullying their fellow camper. If there was one thing that she absolutely couldn’t stand, it was bullies. A determined look in her eye, she set her jaw and cleared her throat, causing the boys to turn their heads towards her. “What’s going on here? Why is he on the ground?”

“Well, um, Vinnie dropped his Magic card, and we were helping him pick it up,” replied one of the boys, but he wouldn’t meet Max’s eyes.

“That’s not true!” protested the boy from the ground. “You tore it up! That was my favorite card, you jerks!”

The other boy gave a shrug. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. Vinnie always makes up lies. Isn’t that right?” His two friends nodded.

“I don’t care,” Max told them, frowning. “You three, go sit on that log over there. You’re excused from the zip-line for today.”

“Aw, what? No fair, you can’t do that!” protested one of the boys.

Max crossed her arms. “I can, and I am. Now, go!” To her inward surprise, the boys did as she told them, walking away in a sulk. When they were gone, she approached the boy they’d been bullying, who had picked himself up off the ground. He was holding shredded pieces of cardboard in his hand and sniffling. Max crouched down so she was at eye level with him.

“Are you okay?” she asked. The boy nodded and sniffed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. Max could see why the other boys would pick on him: he was about eleven years old, slightly chubby, with a bad case of acne. She felt a twang of sympathy. “...What’s your name?”

“Vincent,” he told her, trembling slightly. Max reached out and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were still watery but the sniffling and shaking gradually stopped.

“How long has this been going on?” she asked him softly. “Have you told your group leaders?”

“S-since the start of camp..." Vincent murmured, staring at the ground. “I t-tried to, but Nathan told me that Camp Arcadia is supposed to turn us into r-real men, and real men didn’t play nerdy card games.”

A flare of anger burned within her chest. How could Nathan have said that to his own campers? “I’ll have a word with him,” she promised the boy. Although the concept of talking to Nathan Prescott still filled her with apprehension, if a camper was having a bad time she’d do whatever it took to make things right again. “If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll see if there isn’t a way for you to switch groups. Have you met Warren?” When the boy shook his head no, Max gave him a reassuring smile. “Warren’s one of my friends. He’s one of the leaders of the Squirrel group, and he’s also a big nerd. I’m sure he’d love to talk to you about Magic cards.”

He looked up at her with round, watery eyes. “R-really?”

She gave a nod. “Absolutely.” Straightening up, she offered him a hand. “Now, do you want to ride the zip-line? It’s super fun, I promise.” After some consideration, he nodded, and followed her back to the base of the platform. She let him cut in line and helped him up the ladder. When he got up to the top of the platform, he looked back down the ladder at Max. Seeing the small smile on his face made her spirits soar. After his harness was secured, Vincent drew to the edge of the platform. He stepped back, took a running jump, and flew.

Max resolved herself to confront Nathan about it the next chance she had. She wished Chloe were at her side, and not across the river. If she were here, she’d probably be tearing Nathan a new one already.

Her mind was made up. She’d make things right in Camp Arcadia -- no matter what it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, the cabins, groups, and counselors of Camp Arcadia are as follows:
> 
> Carson Cabin - Deer  
> Max Caulfield & Chloe Price
> 
> Thoreau Cabin - Squirrels  
> Warren Graham & Daniel DaCosta
> 
> Dormon Cabin - Otters  
> Brooke Scott & Kate Marsh
> 
> Audubon Cabin - Badgers  
> Nathan Prescott & Hayden Jones
> 
> Merriam Cabin - Beavers  
> Victoria Chase & Dana Ward
> 
> Darwin Cabin - Elk  
> Justin Williams & Trevor Kingsley


	8. Night Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe stay up late for some midnight adventures.

“Max. Hey, Max. Maxi Pad. Maxaroni and Cheese. Wake up. C’mon, Max.”

“Mnnnh?” Someone was shaking her shoulder and saying words. Max didn’t want to listen to words; Max wanted to sleep, thank you very much. She clung tighter to her blanket and drew it over her head, turning over with a groan. Maybe whatever the annoying thing was would go away and let her sleep in peace.

Her fleeting dream was cut short when a bright light shone through her closed eyelids, coloring her world pink and orange. Flailing wildly with her arms, Max managed to knock the bright thing away and then sat up with a groan, rubbing at her eyes and squinting at whoever had decided waking her up at the hour of way-too-early was a good idea. She already had a hunch; as her eyes came into focus, her hunch was proven right.

Chloe crouched by her bedside, and was shining the beam of a flashlight up onto her face from underneath her chin, throwing her facial features into sharp chiaroscuro. She wore a grin on her face and a wild look on her eyes.

“Nnnh… Chloe, what time is it?”

“The time is now, sister, and the night is ours. I’ve got something really cool I wanna show you, so let’s go!”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m tired,” Max said, yawning widely without even bothering to cover her mouth.

“It can’t wait, it’s gotta be tonight. C’mon, Captain Max, your pirate crew needs you!”

Chloe’s enthusiasm was contagious, even in Max’s barely-awake state. “Okay, fine, you win,” she said with a bleary smile, and threw off her covers in order to sit up. Chloe handed her a jacket, which she put on over her pajamas; it was warm and smelled like Chloe. Standing up from the bed, she stretched and yawned.

Chloe shone the beam on her flashlight towards her shoes on the floor, which she dutifully put on as prompted. Out of habit, she reached out for her camera bag and slung it over one shoulder. It was probably way too dark to take photos, but well, one never did know. Chloe grabbed her own rucksack and, placing a finger to her lips, opened the creaky back door as quietly as she possibly could.

As the two of them stepped outside, Max asked, “Do you think we should have put clothes and stuff under our bedsheets, like they do in the movies? To make it look like we’re still under the covers?”

“Cute idea, Mad Max, but since we’re already out I’m gonna say not this time,” Chloe said. She reached into her bag and produced a second flashlight. “Here, catch!” She tossed it to Max, who fumbled at first but then caught it. She switched it on, casting an ellipse of light onto the surrounding blackness of the bushes and trees. Chloe strode off down the path and beckoned her to follow.

In the inky darkness of the late night -- or early morning, Max wasn’t sure -- the forest was as alive as ever. Between the constant chirping of the grasshoppers and crickets, Max heard the occasional hoot of an owl, and distant rustling of some nocturnal animal through the underbrush. Moths swarmed around them, drawn to the light of their flashlights; Max flinched as one flew directly in front of her face and switched off her light in response. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that she could see just fine under the light of the half moon. Its bright light lanced through the gaps in between the trees, coloring the path with dappled silver hues.

“Where are we going, anyway?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Chloe said, looking over her shoulder at Max as she led the way along the path. “You’ll see when we get there.”

“The suspense is killing me.” Max walked briskly, skipping every other step to keep up with Chloe’s lanky strides. “...Hey, do you think you could walk a little slower for those of us who aren’t part-giraffe?”

“Not my fault you grew up so tiny, Mini-Max,” she said with a laugh. “Catch me if you can!” She lengthened her step even more, quickening her pace, and instantly she was ten feet further down the path ahead of Max, who had to begin jogging in order to keep up.

“Hey, no fair! Don’t you dare ditch me in the woods, Chloe!” The blue haired girl suddenly slowed her pace and stepped off from the main trail. She turned around and beckoned for Max to follow her along a narrower path through the woods. Max stopped, regarding the entrance to the path with suspicion.

“Come on, don’t tell me you’re scared of the woods at night. After all, you’ve got me by your side -- and I’m better than any guard dog,” Chloe said with a smile. “C’mon. We’ll use the buddy system, just like old times. The rules say you and your buddy have to hold hands, so.” She extended her hand, palm upwards.

“I’m not scared, but I guess rules are rules,” Max said, her voice hushed in the darkness. She reached out and grabbed Chloe’s hand, entwining their fingers together. The feeling of contact sent an inexplicable shiver up Max’s spine. Her palm was warm, dry, and slightly rough from all the canoe-rowing and rope-climbing that they’d done that week. Max switched on her own flashlight and silently followed behind Chloe as she led the way down the path, not letting go of her hand the entire time. After a couple minutes of silently walking, with only the rustling of leaves and sounds of the night forest around them, Chloe came to a stop, her fingers falling away. Max stopped walking too, feeling cold at the loss of contact.

Chloe passed the beam of her flashlight over a dark shape ahead of them; in a few seconds Max realized it was what seemed to be an abandoned shack. “Here we are,” she declared.

“This place looks… creepy,” Max said apprehensively, shining her own flashlight over it. The building had certainly seen better days; its roof was sagging and covered in moss, some of the glass window panes were smashed, and old 2x4 boards lay rotting on the ground nearby. Its shabby-looking front door had a padlock on it. While Max examined the shack, Chloe was searching around on the ground for something.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve seen inside,” she said, from on her hands and knees. She lifted up a rock that was near the door and grabbed a key from underneath. Reaching for the padlock, she called out to Max, “hey, shine the light over here, will ya?” Max did as she was told and Chloe opened the lock with a satisfied sound. The door swung open with a creak. “Okay, I’m gonna set up some stuff -- don’t come in until I say to.”

“For some reason, I still trust you,” Max told her. Chloe disappeared indoors, and Max heard the sound of a match being struck, and soon a bright light shone from the broken windows of the shack. After some suspicious-sounding rustling and thuds, Chloe peeked her head out.

“Okay, you can come in now,” she said, holding the door open.

Max stepped through the doorway and was immediately struck with awe at what she saw inside. Despite the run-down exterior, the interior of the shack had an entirely different feel. The place was illuminated by a bright gas lamp that was hanging from the ceiling and swinging gently, casting shadows that shifted slightly as it moved. Every inch of the walls was covered with posters, artwork, and graffiti, with so much to look at that she found it almost overwhelming. There were several chairs and a low table, and even a mattress that looked like it had come from one of the cabins, albeit with a large tear down the middle. Several empty beer bottles stood on the table and on the floor. In the back of the room, something unexpected caught Max’s eye: a large old sea chest, made of iron and wood with an open padlock on the front. The space was a mess, sure, but it felt comfortable, welcoming. It felt like a home.

Chloe reclined on the mattress, watching Max’s face to see her reaction. “Welcome to my palace,” she told her, gesturing with a sweep of her arm. “Make yourself comfortable. Mi casa es su casa and all that.”

“This is…” Max was aware that she was staring. It was like stepping inside of Chloe’s head; her rebel energy seemed to fill the space. “Chloe, this place is awesome.”

“Told ya it would be worth it,” she said with a smile. She was in the process of rolling a joint on the table. “Feel free to take a look around while I medicate.”

Max couldn’t stop staring at the walls. There were so many posters, yet so few bands that she recognized -- curse her indie tastes. The graffiti seemed to be a mix of abstract symbols, fuck-the-establishment messages and an assortment of names and dates carved into the wood. As she looked longer, she noticed something else: photographs. These immediately drew her attention, and she approached to examine them more closely. The first one she saw depicted two girls smiling and flipping off the camera. One of them was Chloe; the other, a pretty girl with long hair who Max didn’t recognize. She had a hunch who it was, though.

“Is this you and Rachel?” she asked. It was a good photo; she didn’t know that Rachel was a photographer.

“Yeah,” Chloe said, lighting the joint she’d just rolled. She took a hit, held it in for a second, then exhaled with a sigh. “Rachel and I found this place a few years ago. We think it was a storage shack for old sports equipment, or something, but they built a new one and just kind of locked this up and left. So we kind of moved in, made it ours.”

“Did you bring all this stuff?” Max asked, casting her gaze at all the furniture.

“Most of it, though some of it came with the place, like that treasure chest.” She took another hit and exhaled through her nose as she pointed to the chest with a grin. “Isn’t that thing cool? I bet it held real pirate’s booty once.”

“You mean, _your_ booty?”

“Har har,” Chloe gave a sarcastic laugh and stood up from the mattress. Stepping over to Max, she took the joint she was holding and put it in between Max’s fingers. “Here, hold this while I show you the real pirate’s treasure.”

“Uh,” Max said, freezing up with the joint in her hand. “Chloe, I-- I haven’t--”

“Relax, I know,” Chloe said over her shoulder, as she rooted through the chest. “I’m not gonna make you do anything you don’t want to. I promise not to go all ‘after school special’ on you.”

“It’s not that, I just… don’t know? I’ve never tried,” she said. Was it just her imagination, or was the sickly-sweet smell of the weed already going to her head?

“Ah-ha!” Chloe had apparently found what she was looking for in the chest. She closed the lid with a thud and crossed over to Max again. “Hey, it’s all cool. Straightedge or no, you’re still Super Max to me.” She reached out to take back the joint.

“--Wait. Hold on a sec--” Max put the filter to her lips and inhaled. As soon as the smoke filled her lungs she gave a tremendous cough which forced her to double over. Her coughing fit continued as she struggled to recover her breathing. Chloe shot her a concerned look, but Max waved her away and stumbled towards the window for a breath of fresh air. She breathed deeply, trying to clear her head from the dizziness that was either caused by lack of oxygen or the hit she had just taken. A tap on her shoulder caused her to turn her head; Chloe was handing her a water bottle. She accepted it gratefully and took a small sip to rinse her mouth, then another, then another. Her throat was really dry for some reason.

“Sorry, I guess I shoulda warned you that might happen,” Chloe said, looking genuinely apologetic.

“S’fine, just--” Max started to say, but then realized her voice was hoarse, so it was coming out as a raspy wheeze. She cleared her throat, took another sip of water, and spoke again. “Maybe… maybe some other time.”

“Aye-aye, captain,” Chloe said with a nod. She patted the mattress next to her and Max took a seat. “Now, are you ready to see the treasure I plundered?”

“Sure,” Max said, feeling curious. Chloe reached down next to the mattress and placed a square, plastic object on the table in front of them. It was a battery-powered portable cassette player; Max watched as Chloe opened it up and inserted a tape, closing it with a click. “Geez, Chloe, a tape deck? And you say I’m the hipster,” she teased.

“Shut up and listen a sec,” Chloe said, hitting the play button. The [song began to play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YdQBkxf4kU) through the speakers, staticky and lo-fi but immediately recognizable. Max immediately felt a wave of nostalgia and the inexplicable urge to dance.

Chloe had spread a number of old cassette tapes on the table; there were at least fifteen or twenty of them. “This was my Dad’s old collection, from when he was around our age. It’s mostly 80’s rock ‘n’ roll but there’s some not bad stuff in here. Pretty cool, right?” She stood up and offered Max a hand. “C’mon, girl, let’s get our rock on!”

Max took her hand, feeling the beat of the song in her body. Following Chloe’s lead, she danced in a way that she hoped wasn’t too embarrassingly dorky. Whatever the case, Chloe didn’t seem to mind; she was in her own zone. Watching her dance, Max couldn’t help but grin; she was a real party animal when she put her mind to it.

Chloe looked up from her dancing and met eyes with Max. She reached out, taking Max’s hands in her own, and then they were dancing together, feet scuffing the dirty floor. As they whirled in tandem, a wild, giddy feeling filled Max’s chest as her heart felt like it was beating double-time. She looked into Chloe’s bright blue eyes and felt a connection there, something bright and wonderful surging between them. She wanted to grab hold of Chloe and never, ever let her go.

"That's it! Shake those hips, girl!" Chloe's hands slipped from hers and she clapped as the song wrapped up its final chords. Max still felt a dizzying rush of -- something. Something like being high, but intellectually she knew she wasn't that high from just one hit. No, it was something else altogether.

Her heart pounding in her chest, she turned away and sat down on the mattress.

The feeling was love. She'd fallen for Chloe.

***

After the song, Chloe picked out some more tracks, but they didn’t dance; they mostly just chilled as Chloe smoked the rest of her joint. Listening to the music together, conversation became unnecessary; which was a good thing, because Max found herself speechless with the weight of the realization. The more she thought about it, the truer it became. Even just glancing at Chloe -- whose face was turned away, blue locks curling at the back of her neck -- filled Max’s stomach with butterflies. All the little things Max was noticing about her, all the times she’d found herself absentmindedly staring over the past week… those were real. This was something real.

Hands shaking, Max found herself reaching for her camera. She needed a photo to document the moment. But of what? She didn’t want a selfie -- but there were plenty of other things to photograph. The graffiti all over the walls was visually interesting… and she always, always wanted to take pictures of Chloe… Finally, she glimpsed the perfect shot: the tape deck on the table, framed by empty bottles, with Chloe slightly out-of-focus in the distance.

[SNAP!]

Eventually the final song stopped and Chloe’s joint ran out, which made her get up to chuck the depleted stub out the window of the shack.

“What’s up, Max?” she asked, glancing over. “Feeling tired? I did kinda wake you up…”

“Y-yeah, I guess so,” she said in a voice that only shook a little.

“We should probably head back soon, anyway. I’ve accidentally woken up in here before-- it’s not a great feeling in the morning, let’s just say.” She began putting stuff back in the chest, and leaned a board against the window to prevent anybody else seeing inside.

Max collected her flashlight and the rest of her things and stepped outside as Chloe locked the place up again, blowing out the gas lamp and securing the padlock on the door. Max helped her lift the rock to store the key underneath, and then the two of them walked back along the path without talking. She was almost surprised by the fact that it was still nighttime, though by now the shadows had a greyish tint, a prelude to the pre-dawn. It was a serene time of night, but it didn’t do much to quell the thoughts which were banging around insistently in Max’s head.

_I know what I’m feeling,_ Max felt both light-headed and a little sick to her stomach. _I like her. I_ like _her._ She kept her head down, eyes trained on the flashlight’s beam ahead of her. _What does this mean? How am I going to tell her?_

They seemed to reach Carson in half the time it took to go to the Shack. Sneaking in as quietly as possible through the back entrance, they shucked their outer clothes -- which reeked of smoke -- and returned to their beds. Chloe practically started snoring as soon as her head hit the pillow; she had been more tired than she seemed.

Max stared out the window by her bed, wide awake. She was going to have a hard time sleeping for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update this time, but it's a pretty big deal in terms of story, so I hope you like it :D  
> For those on mobile / can't listen to the song in this chapter, it's "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes.
> 
> Thanks to everybody that left comments and kudos so far! All of you are wonderful <3  
> More to come soon!


	9. Treading Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max copes with the aftermath of last night’s epiphany, and seeks out advice on what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bit longer between updates this time, apologies! But this is an extra-long chapter so it should be worth it I think. Enjoy!

In the dining hall the following morning, Max clutched her coffee cup like it was the only thing tethering her to the world. She’d gotten maybe three hours of sleep the previous night, since she was still turning over in her head what she’d realized. She _liked_ Chloe, and not just as a friend. She thought she was hella cute and couldn’t stop thinking about her. They’d accidentally bumped shoulders while brushing their teeth that morning and Max had felt like there were pins and needles up and down her arm where they made contact. Being in her presence was nearly overwhelming.

Chloe had noticed Max was acting a little strangely, too, but other than the occasional prolonged stare with confusion in her eyes, Chloe never made a comment. In fact, she had woken up in a better mood than Max had seen her so far since the week had started. Humming a familiar tune, she helped out a girl who’d lost their toothbrush by giving her one of the extras she’d brought, and aided another camper who was writing a letter to send home to her parents. When it was time to head to breakfast, the entire Deer group seemed to have absorbed her positive attitude. Seeing Chloe so happy filled Max with delight, like they’d been when they were both thirteen.

But that could be a problem, too: Chloe was her friend from when they were kids. Max’s feelings now felt in some ways like a betrayal of their friendship, a violation of the unquestioning trust they placed in each other. But was it really a violation, or was it just the next logical step? She’d always intuitively known that the bond they shared was deeper than ordinary friends. Maybe this was just the natural progression of things.

There was also the fact that Chloe was a girl, and Max hadn’t had a crush on a girl before, but that didn’t seem to matter much. Her feelings were real, so why put a label on it? Lost in thought, Max sipped at her coffee.

The sound of someone setting a tray down at the table across from her jolted her out of her headspace. Max looked up from the swirling shapes in her mug to see Warren pulling up a chair. She felt secretly relieved that it wasn’t Chloe, for once.

“Yo, Max! What’s shakin’?” Warren asked her, smiling brightly. “You were all alone over there, I wanted to make sure you had somebody to sit with.”

“Thanks, Warren.” Max gave him a small smile. “I appreciate it.”

“Hey, are you alright, though? You don’t exactly seem like your usual self this morning.” Warren gave her sideways glance, lowering his voice conspiratorially as he continued, “...And you’re not sitting with Chloe. Did you two have a fight, or something…?”

There was absolutely no way that Max could tell him what was on her mind. “No, nothing like that,” she said. “Chloe and I are fine. I just didn’t sleep very well last night, that’s all.”

“Oh, I see. We’ve all had those nights -- like that night I went on a 12-hour coding binge in order to write a program that would do my Calc homework for me,” he sighed. “I was a total zombie for like, a whole day after that.”

Max laughed a little, tilting her head thoughtfully.“Why aren’t you in space camp, Warren?”

Warren shrugged. “Beats me. I guess I like this place. Besides, when you’re in accelerated learning programs and spend most of your time staring at computer screens for nine months out of the year, sometimes it’s just nice to take a break, hug a tree, sing some songs or whatever.”

“I totally get where you’re coming from,” she said with a nod.

“...Oh! That’s right, I came here for another reason, too,” Warren said, pulling out a schedule. “Did you see that our groups will be together for today’s activity?”

“I hadn’t seen the schedule yet. What is it for today?”

“Says here, ‘Deer and Squirrels - Wilderness Walk.’ We’ve gotta meet by the Nature Center at 11. Probably a good idea to bring your bug spray.”

"That sounds nice. I could probably get some good pictures," Max said.

"Ohh, yeah, you've still got that photography thing going on! It's cool that you're still into that. Like, it’s totally awesome. I'd love to see some of your pictures some time,” he said excitedly. “What type of camera do you use?”

“Here, let me show you,” she said, bringing her camera bag out from under the table. She unzipped it and took out the boxy plastic device from inside.

“Whoooah, neato! I really dig the retro vibe,” he said. “So, how does it work, anyway? I’ve never seen an instant camera up close before, only digital.”

In response to his question, Max dove into as detailed of an answer as she could provide, explaining the process of instant-exposure film. He seemed genuinely curious, and she was grateful for the distraction from her persistent thoughts on Chloe. The return to a feeling of normalcy was welcome, even if it was only temporary. As they talked, she felt her hunger returning; she had to get up in the middle of their conversation to get a plate of food. When she returned, Warren eyeballed her tray which was stacked high with pancakes and eggs.

“Found your appetite all of a sudden, huh?”

Max shrugged and began eating. She was a lot hungrier than usual, probably because of all the late-night adventuring she and Chloe had done. By the time she finished and was clearing her plate, the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast. She’d spent so much time moping into her coffee that she’d missed most of the meal.

“That’s my signal! I’ll see you later Max,” Warren told her, waving as he turned to leave and rendezvous with his group. With an inward sigh, Max figured she ought to do the same.

She found Chloe and the Deers with little difficulty. As she approached the group and Chloe spotted her, Max saw her face light up -- which prompted a smile out of Max too and caused her heart rate to increase. _Oh deer,_ she thought, then laughed at herself as Chloe shepherded their little group towards her, _I'm making bad puns this early on. Chloe would be livid_ , _she hates puns except when she's the one making them._

“There you are! I thought you’d decided you were too cool to sit with us,” Chloe said, resting a hand on Max’s shoulder. Max tried not to flinch at the touch.

“N-no, that’s not it,” she said, attempting to compose herself. “I was just... a total zombie this morning. I needed to caffeinate, or else I’d have started threatening to eat everyone’s brains.”

“Always the considerate one, Mad Max,” she said with a smile. “Did you see today’s schedule?”

“Yeah, I did. Wilderness Walk with the Squirrels,” Max said. “We’ll be with Warren and Daniel today.”

“I’ll take them over Prescott’s group, that’s for sure. Still, you’ve gotta be careful, Max, or else they’ll get their nerd germs all over you!” She reached for the top of Max’s head, messing up her hair.

“Hey!” Max reached up and caught her hand. “Don’t you dare point fingers, you’re just as big of a nerd as they are, and you know it.” _My nerd_ , her persistent thoughts provided. Max shook her head, ostensibly to fix her hair but more to try and clear her mind. This was getting ridiculous. How could she continue to function when every other thought was about how much she wanted to pin Chloe to a wall and make out with her?

Max’s face colored and she turned away. Wowsers. She needed to clear her head. “I’ll meet you guys back at the cabin,” she told Chloe and the rest of the Deer group. “There’s something I gotta take care of, first.” _My hormones, maybe._

“Okay, Super Max, don’t let your best friend in on your secret agenda,” Chloe said with a pout, and that right there was the problem.

“I swear, it’ll only be a few minutes,” Max promised her, and slipped away before Chloe could say anything more.

She shoved open the doors of the Mess Hall with perhaps a bit more force than was needed and stalked out onto the green. Although the sun was climbing higher in the sky, the grass was still damp with dew. Max bent down to take off her sneakers, wanting to feel the grass on her bare feet. As she walked all alone in the empty field, Max felt her mental state stabilize. _Okay, so I have feelings_ , Max told herself, _But that doesn’t mean I have to stop being me, or treat Chloe any differently._ She sighed as she squished grass between her toes, trying to rein in her unruly thoughts, _I’ll tell her soon,_ Max promised herself, _and face the consequences, whatever they might be._

Max considered what Chloe’s reaction might be. Worst case scenario: Chloe gets angry or acts disgusted with her for betraying their friendship and trust. She’d give Max the cold shoulder for the rest of their time at camp, and the rest of the eight weeks would be spent facing a chilly silence from her former best friend. Max didn’t think she could possibly survive in such a situation; even considering it made her feel miserable.

But the best case scenario… Max's chest felt light and floaty all of a sudden. Was she imagining it, or was it possible that Chloe felt the same way? She replayed some of their conversations in her head; all the times Chloe gave her compliments or called her pretty, the ways she sought physical contact with Max at all times, or the look in her eyes when they’d danced last night…

Feeling slightly dizzy, she sat on a nearby log bench. How much of that was just Chloe being her typical enthusiastic self, and how much was it real, honest-to-god reciprocation? The possibility was too great to ignore. And if it were true, then… Max’s heart fluttered at the thought.

...Well, she wouldn’t know either way until she told her. In the meantime, she should try to act normal, and wait for the right time and place to confess her feelings. She could manage that for at least a couple of days, she decided. In the meantime, she had a job to do, regardless of any feelings which might get in the way. Her mind made up, Max began walking towards Carson. She could keep this… _thing_ under control. After all, she _was_ Super Max.

***

An hour later, Max was standing on the Arcadia Bay waterfront as the Deer campers ran wild across the sand, picking up pine cones and taking off their shoes to wade into the water.

“Hey, no swimming without a lifeguard!” Chloe called out at the two girls who had waded knee-deep into the lake. Kicking off her own shoes, she ran into the water after them. Max watched as she scooped a girl up in each arm. “C’mon, you don’t want soaking wet shorts for the rest of the day. Samuel’s gonna get here soon to take us on a wilderness walk.”

“But I wanna go swimming!” objected one of the girls.

“You’ll get to swim later, okay? Just stay in the shallow part for now.” She wiped the sweat off her brow with a sigh as she waded on to the shore. “Geez… do I gotta explain everything to these kids?”

“That _is_ our job description,” Max reminded her.

“They’re not even in their swim suits! Don’t they get it? It’s like they act without thinking.”

“If I recall correctly, you weren’t much different when you were their age, Miss Pirate,” Max teased.

“Pshhh. Okay, maybe,” Chloe said, waving away Max’s accusation. Max couldn’t blame the campers for wanting to go swimming; between the sweltering heat of the sun and the burning heat in her cheeks, she could totally go for a dip in the Bay herself.

Max noticed a shape moving in between the trees as another group of campers entered the beach area. In the distance, she could make out the shapes of Warren and Daniel. “Chloe! The Squirrels are here!”

Chloe shaded her eyes and squinted against the sun. “Oh, joy of joys, the Nerd Brigade has arrived,” she said sarcastically.

As the other group drew closer, Max could overhear snippets of their conversation. Warren talked eagerly with a cluster of boys about their favorite superheroes. Daniel was leading some of the other campers in a call-and-response camp song. She thought it was so cute the way the campers and counselors seemed to match each other in personality.

As she was staring, Warren looked up and noticed her as well. He gave a bright smile, the same expression he always seemed to wear around her. He broke off from his group and jogged up the beach to approach her. As he drew near, however, he seemed to grow a little more reserved, his typically excitable demeanor more subdued.“Uh, hey, Max. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good, Warren,” she told him with a small smile. Max noticed that Chloe had drawn closer to her, and was fixing Warren with some sort of look. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but she wished that Chloe would give Warren somewhat of a break, since the poor guy looked uncomfortable enough as it was. “We… we’ve just been trying to keep all our campers from going out and drowning in the lake.”

“Oh, yeah, I can’t really blame them. I mean, you’re feelin’ the heat today too, right?” He ran a hand through his hair and bounced on his toes. “Makes me want to strip off my shirt and dive in the water, too. I hope Sam gets here soon, otherwise I might end up doing just that.” He was probably just kidding, but Max noticed him tugging at the collar of his shirt and glancing over at the water’s edge. An image of a shirtless Warren diving into the lake formed in her mind and, despite the heat, Max shivered.

Chloe seemed to follow Max’s train of thought, “Keep your shirt on, nerd, no one wants to see your hairless boy chest.”

Warren's face flushed, but as he opened his mouth to deliver a smart-alecky reply, the sound of shuffling footsteps drew near. The awkward situation was defused by the arrival of Samuel Taylor, their wilderness guide. He’d been the groundskeeper for Camp Arcadia for as long as Max could remember, and seemed untouched by time. He had a strange sort of demeanor to him, a sort of mystical quality, like he was particularly in tune with the natural world. A private, somewhat socially awkward person, he was nevertheless truly happy when explaining the names of plants and animals and their ecology. As a kid, Max had believed he could talk to birds.

“Ah, hello, is everyone here for the, ah, wilderness walk?” he addressed them quietly in his typical breathy tones. “If everyone could come with me, into the Nature Center here, we can start with learning about the kinds of, ah, plants and animals we can expect to see today.” He beckoned and shuffled into the nearby building, and the four counselors gathered their charges and followed him indoors.

The Nature Center, just off the shore of the beach, contained showers, changing rooms, and classrooms, and was filled with posters and other educational materials about nature. As Max stepped indoors, she was greeted by a life-size poster of Smokey the Bear, reminding her that she, and only she, could prevent forest fires. _That seems like an unreasonable burden for just one person,_ she thought to herself. As she proceeded down the hallway, she noticed several different posters depicting flora and fauna, as well as a diagram about which mushrooms were okay to eat and which were poisonous.

Their groups filed into the main classroom, and Max was surprised yet pleased to see Brutus the stuffed beaver, who was perched on his wooden platform as usual and looked slightly worse for wear than Max had remembered. She recalled a plan that she and Chloe had concocted when they were campers, where they had planned to beaver-nap Brutus and hold him for ransom. Fortunately or unfortunately, their camp session had ended before they could put that plan into action. _You’re welcome, Brutus._

“If everyone could, ah, stand in a big circle, there, you’ll find books on the tables about the various wildlife and trees found here in the, ah, Pacific Northwest region,” Samuel said to the gathered group. “This book, that is to say the one that I am holding, is a guide to tracking animals based on their footprints and their, their scat.”

“I know what that is!” said a boy. “And it’s a bad word! It means poop!”

“It’s not a bad word, but maybe you shouldn’t yell it everywhere,” said Daniel, but it was too late: the boy was already yelling it repeatedly at the top of his lungs. As Daniel and Warren took him out of the room, Max followed behind her campers, who were looking with interest at a field guide to different kinds of birds. Another girl was staring up at a taxidermied deer head that was up on the wall, her mouth agape.

“Is that a _real_ deer?” she asked, pointing up at it.

“Yeah, it is. Or, it was at one point,” Max answered.

“Where’s the rest of it?”

Max found herself unable to answer, so she only shook her head. “No idea.” The girl, losing her interest, walked away; Max gave a start as she felt an arm slide itself across her shoulders. She didn’t even need to turn her head to know that Chloe was at her side.

“I bagged that baby myself back in ‘91,” Chloe said, her hand (the one that wasn’t wrapped around Max) in the shape of a gun, pointed at the deer head. Max’s skin felt unnaturally hot at the contact, and her heart immediately began hammering in her throat again, despite herself.

“Um, Chloe, you were born in ‘94,” Max told her, attempting to keep her composure.

“Are you insinuating that I didn’t shoot this prizewinning buck? Max, are you calling my pro hunting skillz into question?” She placed her free hand on her hip.

“Unless you were able to travel back in time to before you were born… I am saying it’s a little unlikely.” It was a good thing that they were both looking in the same direction, because otherwise she’d notice the blush on Max’s face.

“Oh, that’s _rich_. I bet you don’t think I caught this record-breaking trout, either?” Chloe gestured at a fish that was mounted on the wall beside the deer head. “He was twice as big when I caught him, but he shrank when they dried him out and hung him on the wall.” Max laughed, albeit perhaps a bit louder than necessary.

A few minutes passed, and as the campers began to grow bored with looking at books and diagrams, Samuel called them all to attention again. “Now that you all have had a, a primer on what you can expect to find on our walk, if you all will follow Samuel we can get started,” he told them, opening the back door and gesturing that everyone should follow him outside again.

As Max followed the group out, she noticed a smaller room off from the main classroom. There was an object in there that was covered with a cloth and looked suspiciously like a TV. That must be what Daniel and Warren had been talking about, the legendary Arcadia Cinema.

Noticing her looking at the room, Daniel caught her eye and gave her a secretive smile. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a key on a keyring and dangled it in the air, tilting his head towards the empty classroom. _So, that was pretty cool,_ Max thought. She wondered when they’d get to use it.

Max stepped outside the Nature Center again, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the harsh light. She’d forgotten how hot it was that day. Fortunately, the path that Samuel was leading them along was a shady walk between the trees, right by the water’s edge. Max hoped that it would be enough to keep cool.

At the front of the pack, Samuel was walking slowly along the path, explaining to a group of campers how to distinguish a warbler from a thrush, and imitating bird calls. He had an uncanny knack for it, and was teaching the campers how to do it, too. Pretty soon the entire group was chirping and whistling like birds.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” crowed Warren, eliciting some giggles from the throng of campers that surrounded him. Max smiled; she liked how carefree he was when interacting with the kids. She could see why he liked coming to Camp Arcadia. Based on what he’d said at breakfast, he probably didn’t get the chance to express himself very much throughout the rest of the year.

He must have noticed her watching him, because Warren approached her, a grin on his face. “Hey, Max, did you like my rooster impression?”

“Very convincing,” she told him with a smile, and he clucked appreciatively.

“I don’t know about you guys,” came Chloe’s voice from Max’s other side, as she walked up alongside Max and Warren, “But I’m starting to get hungry for some chicken strips. Or drumsticks,” she said, licking her lips.

Warren cowered behind her. “Max, help me,” he whimpered. “I think your scary girlfriend wants to eat me!”

Chloe cackled in response. But the pit of Max’s stomach had gone icy. _Girlfriend? They weren’t… Chloe wasn’t… Did Warren really think…?_

Breaking off from the rest of the pack, Max walked down the path alone, thoughts swirling in her mind.

_God, I’ve got it bad._

***

"We know that love is real, because it's all around us everywhere we look," Samuel was saying, grasping an oak leaf between his fingers. "If you are ever feeling lost, or confused, you can always turn to nature for guidance. She'll welcome you in with loving arms and show you the right path."

 _Pretty profound stuff,_ Max thought to herself, although by the looks of it only about a quarter of the campers were still paying attention to what Samuel was saying. The rest were running wild, scrambling up rocks and wielding sticks like swords. As the walk went on, though, the campers began to grow increasingly tired and ornery. If the campers weren't constantly entertained, they'd grow bored, and when they were bored, causing trouble was inevitable. By the time Samuel announced they'd be turning around and taking a shortcut back to the base camp, the relief she felt was palpable. It was too hot a day to stay outside for the entire time.

As their guide led them back to camp, Max approached him. "Hi," she said gently. "I really liked those bird call impressions that you made. They sounded almost real. You always have a way with the campers, they all seem to like you a lot."

"The forest speaks, and Samuel just listens," he replied. He regarded her with a look that seemed to pass through to her very core. "But something is on your mind. What’s troubling you, young lady?”"

Max swallowed, not sure what to say. She glanced around to see whether anyone was listening, but they were walking several meters down the path than the rest of the group, out of earshot. "I..." she suddenly found herself unable to put her feelings into words. "I'm just... overwhelmed."

"Life often does that to us, especially at your age," he told her. "And Summer, that's when it's at its peak. The senses are stronger, and everything is more alive. It's a powerful time of year."

"Yeah..." Max stared at her feet as they walked along the dirt path.

"There'll be a full moon this Saturday," Samuel mused. Max wondered whether that was directed at her or simply a general observation, but then he said, "If you're planning something, best to do it under a full moon, for good luck."

Max wondered if he was a little bit psychic. "Thank you for the advice," she said sincerely. "I'll definitely keep it in mind." She stopped walking; they had finally arrived on the Arcadia green again.

"Best of luck to you, Max," Samuel said, and turned to leave. Max wondered when she'd told him her name.

***

At lunch, Max sat with her group of campers, who were still doing bird call impressions. Chloe, at the other end of the table, did an on-point impression of a crow, sounding like a grizzled old man after his 5th pack of cigarettes. Max probably laughed the longest and loudest of anyone in the group.

"Okay, Max, your turn," Chloe challenged her. "Let's hear your best bird impression."

"Uh," she said, uncertain, "tweet tweet?"

"C'mon, you didn't even try that time!" She turned to one of the campers. "Here, Trisha, show her how you did that duck noise." The girl cupped her hands around her face and gave a convincing-sounding quack, which provoked a laugh out of the whole group again.

Max was glad to see that her campers had settled into daily life at Arcadia over time. Even the first-timers who had had a rough start to their weeks were now adopting camp traditions and making friends just like the rest. It made her a little sad to think that in just a few days, their camp session would come to an end. All of the faces that she'd grown so familiar with would be gone, replaced by an entirely new cohort of campers the following week.

She felt the itch that she knew was her photo impulse. Taking out her camera, she spoke to the group, "Hey, if you all would bunch together for a second, I wanna take a picture of everyone."

"C'mon, slowpokes, get your butts in here," Chloe said, spreading out her arms to envelop the campers in a group hug. Those who didn't fit squeezed onto her lap or stood on their tiptoes behind the rest.

"And no duck face!" Max instructed, but when the majority of campers made a face in response, she relented, "Okay, you can make silly faces if you want. But I'm only taking one picture, so say cheese!"

[SNAP!]

The photograph printed out, and Max laid it on the table. The girls all clustered around to watch it develop. After about 30 seconds, some of the color began to show, and in a minute their faces became clear.

"I look weird in this," complained one of the girls, "can you do another?"

Max tried to explain to her that, because film was so valuable, she could only take so many photographs; it wasn't like a digital camera. "It's like capturing a moment in time, and it's not like you can go back and change that," she said, but that didn't seem to make the girl any less confused.

"What Max is trying to say is that she's a big nerd," Chloe told her, resting a hand on the girl's head and ruffling her hair. "She's picky about that sorta thing. She's a total photo nerd -- a cute nerd, but still a nerd." Chloe looked closely the photograph. "I don't know what you're talking about, isn't your face always like that?"

She felt relieved that Chloe was distracted with talking to the campers, because the second she had called Max cute she'd begun blushing uncontrollably again. Taking the photo and putting it in her bag, she excused herself to go to the bathroom in order to splash some water on her face and cool down.

On the way there, she bumped into another counselor -- literally bumped into her, since she'd been staring at the floor to hide her blush. The other girl gave an indignant shriek, spilling the drink she'd been carrying all down her front.

"Ugh! Watch where you're going!" She said with disgust. Max recognized her: Victoria Chase. "You made me spill my lemonade! Damn it, this shirt was brand name!"

"I'm sorry," Max apologized, "Let me get you a towel from the bathroom. I'm so sorry."

Victoria sniffed distastefully. "It doesn't matter. I'll go back and change now."

"No, seriously, it was my fault, let me help," she insisted. "...I'll let you borrow one of my shirts in the meantime, so that you don't have to walk around in a wet t-shirt."

Victoria gave her a scathing glance. "Sorry, but I don't think 'low-end thrift shop hippie' is really my style." She crossed her arms and gave Max a once-over from head to toe; Max felt as though she were being stripped bare. "...Max Caulfield, right? You're the girl Nathan was bitching about earlier."

"Uh, yeah..." Max was rendered speechless. What could she say to recover the situation? "Victoria, right? I don't think we were ever really introduced... but we were campers together years ago, I think?"

"Were we? I barely remember," Victoria said with a dismissive wave of a manicured hand. "...Oh, wait, now I know. You used to hang out with Chloe."

"Yeah. We were best friends." Max wasn't sure what exactly they were, now.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Well, you certainly picked the right time to bail out of that situation. She began acting absolutely barbaric after that. Totally out-of-control. And the way she was with Rachel Amber... talk about dependent," she said with a sniff. “It was pathetic, really. She was so all over her. Too bad Rachel didn’t feel the same way.”

Max gave a start. “...Wait, what?”

“You didn’t hear? Everybody knew about it. It was totally obvious from the way she acted that she was, like, obsessed with Rachel.”

“That’s not…” Max shook her head in disbelief, staring at the floor. “They were best friends… Chloe told me--”

“Well, of course _Chloe_ would tell you that,” Victoria said with a scoff. “Who wants to admit they spent years pining over a straight girl who didn’t feel the same way? It’s so much easier to tell yourself a comfortable lie than to admit the truth.” She tapped the side of her face contemplatively. “I wonder if that was the reason Rachel didn’t come back this year? She must’ve finally gotten sick of Chloe trailing after her like a dog looking for scraps.”

“You don’t know that!” Max protested, surprising herself with the volume of her voice. “You don’t know how things were! It wasn’t like that at all!”

Victoria looked momentarily surprised by Max’s outburst, but within seconds she had on a sly grin again. “Don’t I? But how would you know? After all, you haven’t been here for five years…” Striding past her, she made several paces before turning her head to look back at Max. “I’d watch out if I were you, Caulfield. If you spend more time with her, you might end up the same way as Rachel…”

Victoria’s cruel laugh echoed down the hallway as she strode away. As soon as she turned the corner, Max made a dash for the bathroom door. Fortunately, the girls’ room was empty, so she entered a bathroom stall, closed the lid and sat down on top. Max held her head in her hands, feeling her emotions seethe in her gut. _How dare Victoria say those things about Chloe! There’s no way any of that stuff is true!_

Max breathed in and out. _Okay, Max, calm down,_ she thought to herself. What Victoria had said was obviously intended to provoke her. Chloe had described Victoria as vindictive and cruel, and now Max understood why. But all the stuff she had said about Chloe having feelings for Rachel that weren’t reciprocated… Victoria had made that up, right? She thought back to what other people had told her about Chloe and Rachel’s friendship. Daniel and Warren had both described them as “inseparable.” Max thought back to the clubhouse in the woods, how it had seemed like a space Chloe and Rachel created and shared together. She remembered the photo on the wall of the two of them flipping off the camera. They had both looked so happy to be there.

...But something that Victoria had suggested was still gnawing at Max. _Did_ Chloe have feelings for Rachel? Was it possible that their relationship had been more than just friends? Max had to consider the possibility that it was true. Chloe might have had feelings for Rachel -- might _still_ have them, despite Rachel’s absence. And if that were true…

Jealousy burned inside her. Max groaned and covered her face with her hands. Why was this so difficult? Why did everything have to be so complicated? Desperately, she wished she could return to the time when they were both campers, carefree and before all the pain and the drama. But that was an impossible dream. Even though Camp Arcadia was still the same old place, they’d changed, and there was no way to go back.

She heard the bathroom door open, and somebody entered the other stall. Max remembered where she was, and decided that moping in a bathroom stall was not a good look for her. Exiting the stall, she approached the sink to wash her hands and face. She stared at her expression in the mirror. Wowsers, Warren had been right to worry about her that morning; she could still see the shadows underneath her eyes. Splashing cold water on her face, she felt herself grounded in reality again. She realized she was probably getting worked up over nothing at all. Feelings or no, Chloe or Rachel… she told herself her concerns would all seem ridiculous some day. It was only a matter of time.

***

In the free time after lunch, Max wandered the grounds of Arcadia again, staying relatively close to her group but without a destination in mind. Chloe had announced that she was returning to the cabin for an afternoon catnap -- a suggestion which honestly sounded appealing to Max, given her lack of sleep the previous night. But she was still too preoccupied to sleep, and at any rate somebody would have to be watching the kids, so Max had stayed behind. Truthfully, though, they didn’t really need her supervision right now; they mingled with the other groups, playing games or chit-chatting, as some of the other counselors looked on.

It was only after a few minutes of this solitude did she realize how badly she missed having Chloe by her side. When they were together, they’d always fill up the silences; on her own, listening to the cicadas in the trees and the shouts of the children playing, Max felt all alone. And everyone thought that _Chloe_ was the co-dependent one...

“Hey, Max?” came a girl’s voice. Max turned and saw Kate Marsh beckoning to her from where she was seated on a log; she felt a warm feeling of relief wash through her at the sight of the girl.

“Hi, Kate,” she said, approaching her. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m doing well, thanks for asking,” she said with a smile. She looked up at Max and a small frown creased her brow. “Are you doing all right, Max? You seem a little upset.”

Max gave a small sigh. “I’m fine, Kate. Things have just been a little stressful, that’s all.”

Kate gestured to the log beside her. “Please, sit down. I’ll braid your hair and we can talk.” Max sat, and Kate turned so that she was facing Max’s back. As soon as she felt Kate’s gentle fingers running through her hair, Max instantly relaxed. Being in Kate’s presence was so soothing; the girl was always so kind and genuine.

“So what’s on your mind?” came Kate’s voice from behind her left ear, as she separated out Max’s hair into strands for braiding.

“I don’t know…” Max wasn’t sure how much she could tell her. She trusted Kate to not gossip or spread rumors about her, but based on the golden cross necklace she always wore, Max wasn’t sure she’d have a positive reaction if Max admitted she had feelings for another girl. Better to be more vague than that. “...Kate, have you ever… been in love?”

Kate’s fingers paused in their braiding momentarily, then resumed. “...No,” she said after a slight pause. “But I have felt many different kinds of love. Like the love I hold for my family, and the love I have for Arcadia. I have felt God’s love, too. But the kind of love that you’re describing, it isn’t any of those kinds, is it?”

“No,” Max admitted.

“Then I’m afraid I can’t say I know exactly how you’re feeling,” Kate said. “You should consider yourself lucky, though. Love is a gift, it doesn’t happen to just anybody.”

“I don’t feel lucky,” Max said. “I mean, part of me does, but I also feel nervous and a little scared.”

Kate stroked her hair, soothing Max’s troubled spirits. “It’s all right, Max. Everybody feels those things when they’re faced with something big, that they don’t fully understand. But I believe in you, Max.” She leaned away, signaling she was finished with the braid.

“Thanks, Kate,” she said. “...I really appreciate the vote of confidence.” It was true; Kate’s pep talk had left her feeling better than she had all day long. Perhaps it was the relief of finally being able to communicate her feelings to somebody, or perhaps it was Kate’s soothing, nonjudgmental presence.

“Any time,” she said with a smile. “That’s what friends are for.”

“You came at exactly the right time,” Max told her. “I… had a run-in with Victoria Chase earlier. It didn’t go well.”

Kate stiffened at Max’s side the minute Max mentioned Victoria’s name. When she spoke, her tone was different -- her voice was stern. “You shouldn’t talk to Victoria,” she said emphatically. “Trust me, Max, she just likes to hurt people. She will only make your life worse.”

Seeing Kate’s demeanor give such a sudden shift surprised Max. Clearly Kate had some sort of history with Victoria. It was hard to imagine anyone would want to hurt her… but Max supposed that when one was as warm and trusting as Kate, they would be more vulnerable to people who wished her ill will. “I know Victoria’s just a bully,” Max said, “and I know she’s probably just… insecure, or something. But I didn’t want to assume that before I even got a chance to talk to her, you know?”

Kate nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry you had to find out the hard way.” Despite the heat, she gave a small shiver. “Victoria and Na--” she swallowed suddenly, “Nathan, their way isn’t the Arcadia way. It’s sad, but I think they’ve lost sight of why we all came to Arcadia in the first place.” She looked at the ground, her small hands balled into fists. “I think if they understood how wonderful this place is, t-then they would realize that they don’t have to… to hurt or manipulate other people in order to feel good about themselves.”

Feeling like Kate was the now one that needed comfort, Max reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. Kate gave a quiet sigh. “Kate… did something happen? You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable,” Max said to her.

“N-no, it’s fine…” Kate gave a sigh. “I feel like I can trust you. I don’t remember it very well anyway. It happened towards the end of camp last year… there was a big party on the beach on the last night. I went, because everyone would be there and I wanted to say goodbye to all my friends… and Nathan was there, and he was really drunk. He kept trying to make me take a drink, but I told him I wasn’t interested. And then he…” she swallowed, “He said he… wanted to hook up with me that night, but I said no.” As she spoke, she held her golden cross necklace in between her fingers. “I don’t really remember much else from that night… I swear I only had soda to drink, but everything was just a blur. The next thing I remember, Nathan was on top of me, t-trying to stick a hand up my shirt…”

Max felt bile rise in her throat. “What?!” _That sick bastard! How dare he hurt Kate!_

“I was so scared, but I couldn’t move… I don’t know what I would have done had Rachel not showed up when she did.”

“Wait-- Rachel? As in, Rachel Amber?”

“Yes-- she came at just the right time, pulled Nathan off me and helped me up. She was my Guardian Angel that night… but she went home the next day, before I could thank her. I’d been waiting all year to tell her how grateful I was. But she didn’t come back. And since this camp session started, Victoria and Nathan have been calling me awful names when no one else is around… saying that I’m a slut and a hypocrite.”

Max bristled. “Kate, that’s terrible! Why don’t you report them?”

“Do you really think it would do any good?” Kate looked up at her, and Max could see conflicted emotions in her eyes. “I was going to ask Rachel to back me up on my word… but if I tried to report them to Director Wells now, it would be two against one. Plus, Nathan’s dad is a big donor to the camp. And also…” she hunched her shoulders. “I don’t feel comfortable being in a room with them…”

“Kate, I’ll be here for you no matter what, okay?” Max reached out to clasp Kate’s hands in hers. “If you want to report them, I’ll be there by your side. I promise. We can’t afford to just stand by and let the bullies get their way.”

Kate looked up, hope and gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you, Max… thank you,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here… this year, and right now. I think you’re exactly what Arcadia needs.”

Max gave a small laugh. “I don’t know if I’m all that… I’m just me.”

“No wonder you’ve fallen in love,” Kate said with a faraway look, “God sees all the good you’re doing, and has granted you a miracle.”

“Wow, uh… thanks.” Max gave her a smile. “For everything, Kate.”

“You, too, Max. I’ll see you later.” Gathering her skirts, Kate got up off the log and left in the direction of her group.

After a few moments, Max got to her feet as well. The talk with Kate had left her feeling empowered, level-headed and in control of herself. With her new-found confidence, she faced towards the future -- and towards Chloe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank [herwhiteknight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/herwhiteknight) for betaing as well as every single one of you who read and left comments, kudos, and favs, you all are fantastic and wonderful people! <3


	10. Ghost Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The counselors sneak into the Nature Center at night for some shenanigans.

_ Tap, tap, tap.  _

Max groaned and rolled over as the noise repeated its pattern on the window above her bed. She hadn’t quite fallen asleep yet, but she’d been well on her way before the noise brought her back to reality. A quick glance to the bed across from her told her it wasn’t Chloe this time; her co-counselor was fast asleep, and snoring a little. Max was pretty envious of how easily she seemed to be able to just fall asleep on command.

Figuring it was probably just a tree branch moving in the wind or something, she pulled the covers over her head to block out the sound. It was almost too hot that night to sleep under the covers, but Max wasn’t the type to sleep without a blanket. Sheesh, was it too much to ask for a decent night of sleep? For the past couple of nights she’d been tossing and turning, waking up from weird, chaotic, and often uncomfortably sexual dreams, and found herself curled in sweaty sheets, unable to fall back asleep. The heat and humidity certainly weren’t helping much, either.

Scrunching her eyes shut, she tried to banish all of her thoughts and return to sleep, when the tapping started again. It sounded like something pinging against the outer wall of the cabin. Hailstones? No way, it was a clear, starry night. ...Bigfoot?  _ Bigfoot isn’t real, Max. It’s just the wind _ , she told herself. She was a grown woman; she could deal with things that went bump in the night.

THUNK! A loud noise against the side of the cabin jolted her wide awake again. That wasn’t the wind. Eyes wide open, she tried to quiet her breathing and listen as hard as she could. Crunch, crunch. Something was crunching on the gravel outside. Oh, God, what if it  _ was _ Bigfoot? Max was way too scrawny to defend a cabin full of campers against an 800-pound ape man. What could she do, take a blurry picture? She’d rather just sic Chloe on him.

Listening hard, she heard the crunch of gravel underfoot again, then -- laughter, immediately followed by someone saying “shhhh!” She breathed out a sigh of relief; there was no way that it could be Bigfoot now. Sitting up, she leaned over to look out her window at the two figures that were standing outside her cabin, holding flashlights. She reached up to rub at her eyes, and opened the window a crack.

“Hey, Max,” came Warren’s voice from underneath her window. He had a fistful of pebbles that he’d been throwing at the side of the cabin, which explained the noise.

“ _ Shhh! _ Keep it down,” urged Brooke, standing at Warren’s side. Then she looked up at Max, too. “Good, you’re finally awake.”

“What-- what’re you two doing here?” Max stage-whispered at them.

“Obviously, we’re here to come get you for some midnight shenanigans!” Warren replied, beaming. “The others are down at the beach already -- come on!”

Of  _ course _ they would. Well, she was awake now; she might as well have some fun. “Okay, I’ll come with you guys, but give me a minute. I have to wake Chloe.” Max closed the window and climbed out of bed, yawning and stretching. She crossed over to Chloe’s bedside, but as she reached out to poke her awake, her hand froze in mid-air. Chloe looked so serene, her hair sprawled across the pillow, and Max felt her heart thud in her chest. Yeah, this crush wasn’t going away any time soon. But she realized that standing there watching her sleep was more than a little creepy, so she gently shook her shoulder to wake her.

“Hmmnnn, stop it Rachel…” Chloe groaned, and Max felt that cold wash of emotion that now seemed to happen whenever Rachel’s name was brought up. Banishing her feelings, Max shook her a little more vigorously, until her groans turned into more coherent, “Okay, okay, m’awake, whaddayawant?” If she’d been serene while asleep, half-awake Chloe was the total opposite: her hair fell in messy strands in front of her eyes as she sat up, glowering towards Max.

“Revenge for earlier this week,” Max told her smugly. “Now get up, grouchypants, and get some clothes on -- Warren and Brooke are waiting for us outside.”

“I knew not to trust those nerds, they set us up,” Chloe grumbled, climbing out of bed begrudgingly. Max briefly appreciated the sight of Chloe in only boxer shorts and a sports bra, hoping the other girl wouldn’t catch her staring in the dim light. After they’d hastily put on clothes, picked up their flashlights and gathered their things, Max remembered something from the last time they sneaked out.

“Hey, let’s stuff our beds, so it looks like we’re still sleeping if anybody checks,” she suggested.

“That may be the dorkiest suggestion you’ve ever made,” Chloe said with a half-smile, “but, okay, let’s actually do it this time.” Max put some of her clothes underneath her covers in the approximate shape of a person, and drew the blanket over the top. It wasn’t completely convincing, and she seriously doubted that anybody would bother to check, but she still felt a thrill of rebelliousness because of it.

They gently closed the creaky back door behind them and joined Warren and Brooke outside. As usual, Warren seemed overjoyed to see Max but a little less enthusiastic around Chloe, which was… well, it was something she was going to have to accept.

The four counselors set off in the direction of the beach, while Brooke berated Max and Chloe for taking their time getting ready. "By the time we get there, they'll probably have eaten all of the snacks. I wouldn't put it past Daniel."

"Aw sweet, you guys got snacks?" asked Chloe excitedly, bouncing on her toes. "Please tell me you nicked them from the kitchen. Those ones are the best."

"Actually, we bought them with our own money," Warren said. "We can't all be stubborn rule-breakers like you."

Chloe stuck out her tongue. "Says the boy who's sneaking out at midnight for an illicit powwow on the shore. You don't get to take any moral high ground, here."

"Guys, guys," urged Max, "can we keep it down? We don't want to wake anybody up..." She also wanted her friends to stop bickering, but it seemed that that would be more like trying to stop the tides. Still, they fell silent at her suggestion. It might have been Max's imagination, or a mis-step in the dark, but Chloe was walking a lot closer to her than usual, even with their typically relaxed attitude towards each other's personal space. She found that she didn't mind the newfound closeness at all, especially when Chloe's hand accidentally brushed hers as they walked side by side. The contact sent tingles up her arm and along her shoulder.

After a few minutes of mostly-silent walking, they emerged from between the trees and onto the sandy beach. As soon as they stepped off the gravel path, Chloe bent down to take off her shoes. With a whoop of joy, she sprinted at full speed and splashed into the lake. Max glanced over at Warren, who had a baffled look on his face; shrugging, she kicked off her own sandals and walked up to the shoreline to dip her toes in. She looked out at where Chloe was standing knee-deep at the edge of the shallows, illuminated by the light of the moon. Laughing and splashing in the lake, Chloe stretched out her arms to the sky. “Ahhh, I’ve never felt so alive!” 

Max thought that the scene was picturesque; the moon was brilliant and nearly full, and the ripples emanating outward from Chloe’s motion were distorting its reflection into a million tiny slivers of light. Reaching for her camera, Max quickly framed the scene in her viewfinder: Chloe, her back turned, silhouetted against the bright moon and stars.

[SNAP!]

At the sound of the shutter, Chloe turned around to look Max, her eyes wild and bright. In that moment, she seemed indistinguishable from the fiery young girl from Max's memories. She was beautiful, and Max wanted nothing more than to wade out into the lake with her and kiss her until they both couldn't breathe.

“Hey!” A shout from Brooke fractured the moment. “When you two are done being wet and weird, the others are waiting for us inside.” She tilted her head towards the darkened windows of the Nature Center.

“Coming,” Max called to her, placing her camera back in its bag. Chloe waded out of the lake with a series of splashes, and Max regarded her with a fondly exasperated look. “You lunatic, now you’ll be wet for the rest of the night.”

“It’ll dry,” she replied with a shrug. “‘Sides, life is too short to pass up opportunities like this one. So, whaddaya say we ditch the nerds and go skinny-dipping in the Bay?”

“ _ Chloe, _ ” Max said reproachfully, although the suggestion sent a jolt of arousal straight to her core. God, now she couldn’t stop imagining it… she shook her head. “Let’s just go inside, all right?” The blue-haired girl gave a shrug and agreed to follow, and together they approached the darkened entrance to the nature center, where Brooke was holding the door with her typical bored expression.

The Nature Center felt like an entirely different place at night. Max immediately switched on her flashlight as soon as she entered. The warm feelings from playing with Chloe in the lake slowly dissipated as she cast her beam around the shadowed corridor. She gave a start as the beam passed over the life-size poster of Smokey the Bear: what had been a friendly and harmless cartoon during the day was suddenly a lot more sinister in the darkness. She took an involuntary step back, bumping into Chloe who was standing directly behind her.

“Don’t worry; he might be a bear, but he still can’t eat you,” she said, resting a warm hand on Max’s shoulder. She relaxed; she knew she was being ridiculous. Still, being touched by Chloe was… nice. She was kind of tempted to play up the timid act, just to see what else Chloe might do. The other girl’s hand didn’t leave her shoulder as they walked down the corridor which made Max wonder whether Chloe might be a little scared, too.

They reached the large classroom, where they’d had the brief “lesson” from Samuel the other day. Max’s beam shone across the room, illuminating the taxidermied deer. Its antlers seemed to loom larger than life, casting dramatic shadows on the wall and ceiling around it. Max felt momentarily small and powerless. Seriously, whose bright idea was it to take dead animals and fill them with stuffing so that they looked nearly alive again? And who thought that it was a good idea to fill a room with them? She had apocalyptic visions of them coming to life again, creaking and groaning, the deer head pulling itself out from the wall… she felt her breathing come in faster and more shallowly than normal, and Chloe must have noticed, because she squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

In the distance, they heard voices, and a light shone from underneath the door to one of the smaller classrooms. Relieved, Max reached for the handle and opened it up, spilling light out into the hallway and forcing her to shield her eyes. As her vision adjusted, she saw Warren, Daniel and Kate seated around a low table in the center of the floor. They had brought with them pillows and blankets, creating a fairly comfortable space on the middle with the rest of the tables and chairs pushed to the side. The boxy old TV set was uncovered, but currently turned off. On top of the table were bags of chips, candy, and a six-pack of cheap beer.

“Yo!” Warren waved to them as they entered. “We thought you guys wouldn’t make it. Did you get lost in the Nature Center, or what?”

“This place is hella creepy at night,” Chloe said, walking up to the table. “Who brought the beer? Whoever you are, you’ve got my eternal gratitude.” She opened a can of beer with a hiss of pressurized air and took a swig, then picked up a second and handed it to Max.

“Ah, that would be me,” said Daniel. Chloe tipped her can towards him with an appreciative grin, and he responded by opening his own can and tapping it neatly against Chloe’s. Brooke entered the room behind Max, closing and latching the door behind her, and immediately went to grab a can for herself.

Chloe went to go sit down at the table. “Since when are you 21?”

“I’m not, I’m only 20,” Daniel said with a shrug, “But the guy at the gas station doesn’t know that. I think he probably can’t tell how old I am because I’m not white.”

“True that,” agreed Brooke.

Max looked down at the can of beer in her hand. Well, there wasn't anything better to do, so she opened it and took a swig. It tasted gross and was barely cold, but she found that she was much thirstier than she'd thought, so she ended up taking several large gulps.

At the table, Warren cleared his throat and steepled his fingers. "So, I'm sure you all know there's a reason I gathered us here tonight. That reason being the party that's happening this weekend."

"A party?" Max asked.

"You're new to being a counselor, Max, so you haven't heard yet," said Daniel. "Every time a session ends and the campers go home, there's a bonfire on the beach and we throw a big party for all of us counselors."

"And we intend to sabotage it," Warren added.

"Wha-- why?"

"Lately, all of the parties have been completely taken over by Nathan and Victoria's crew," Daniel explained. "They're not exactly fun anymore."

"Those assholes blindfolded me, tied me up, and threw me in the lake," Warren spat. "They thought it was funny, but it wasn't. I nearly drowned. This is payback."

Max cast a glance over towards Kate, who was sitting at the table quietly, staring at the floor. She remembered what Kate had told her about Nathan nearly assaulting her at the last party. If that was the kind of climate that they were talking about, then Max was completely on board with whatever these plans might be. She'd do anything to protect Kate.

"As much as I'm a fan of rubbing it in Prescott's whiny bitch face," said Chloe, "do you guys have a plan already, or are you just talking about it?"

"Warren has one," said Daniel, "but if you have any suggestions, feel free to share."

"Okay, so," Warren said, "the most important feature of these Vortex parties is the booze, obviously. Nathan and Victoria generally keep it on lockdown, and only the people that they like can get access. But if we can steal it beforehand, dump it out and replace it with water or something, then their main playing card is off the table.”

“It’s a start,” Chloe said, sipping her beer thoughtfully. “But how are you going to get to it beforehand, Einstein?”

“I can help with that,” Daniel said, pulling a full keyring out from the pocket on his shorts. 

“Danny the keymaster! Pulling through as usual, my man,” said Warren. He cast a conspiratorial look around the room. “So, our best guess is that they keep the alcohol in one of their cabins -- either Audubon or Merriam. And, as it just so happens, I looked at the schedule for tomorrow and both of their groups are paired with our groups-- Victoria’s is with mine and Daniel’s and Nathan’s group is with Brooke and Kate. So, we’ll be able to keep tabs on them the entire time, and keep them distracted. While that happens, you two,” he gestured at Max and Chloe, “can search their rooms, find the booze, and steal it. Simple, right?”

“Right, so as usual, I’m the criminal element here,” Chloe said sarcastically.

“Hey, don’t you want to mess with them, too? They’ve been doing their part spreading rumors about you, too--”

“Rumors? What rumors?” Chloe interjected.

“Uhh, you know… just, stuff…” Warren suddenly paled and looked nervous.

“Mostly, they’re about you and Rachel,” Daniel said matter-of-factly. “They’re mean and untrue, though, so it doesn’t matter.” Max recalled the run-in she’d had with Victoria in the hallway; so what she’d told Max was something she’d been telling everyone.

Chloe ground her teeth. “That bitch. Okay, I’m on board.”

“"Great! Glad that's settled then," said Warren. 

"It's not like we want to completely ruin the party for everybody, either," added Daniel. "We just agree that it's about time somebody took the Vortex king and queen down a peg."

"Hell yes," Chloe agreed, rubbing her hands together in glee. Max looked over at Kate, who met her eye and gave her a small smile. Sabotage wasn't usually in Max's modus operandi, but for her sake, she was willing to take on personal risks in order to prevent anything like that from happening again.

***

After solidifying their plans for party sabotage, the atmosphere in the small room relaxed a little. Daniel turned on the boxy TV, but instead of putting on a movie for them all to watch he instead played an [audio CD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24b2oeK0vWo) with the volume down low, so that they could carry on a conversation. Inevitably, the get-together devolved, as most late-night teenage gatherings did, into a game of truth or dare. 

"Okay, Warren," Brooke said, sipping at her can of beer with a sly smile on her face. "Truth... or dare?"

"I'll pick dare, 'cause it's manlier."

"Oh, really? Maybe you just can't handle the truth," she replied. "Fine... come here for a sec."

"Now I'm a little nervous... just, whatever you're going to do, leave my butt out of it. Please," he pleaded as he approached her.

Brooke laughed at that. "Don't worry, your butt is safe from me." She reached out and lifted the front of Warren's tee-shirt. Amidst his shouts of protest, she tucked the bottom part of the shirt into the neck in front, pulling it taut so that it looked like he was wearing a bra and his abs were exposed. Warren, to his credit, worked with it, striking a model pose amidst giggles from everybody else.

"What? This is totally  _ haute couture _ ," he said. "...Okay, now can I put my shirt back on the right way?"

"Nope, your dare is that you have to wear it like that for the entire next round." Warren grumbled but acquiesced. "Now, it's your turn-- pick somebody."

"Dan, my man," Warren said, pointing at Daniel, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare. As long as you don't ask me to do something that will ruin our friendship..."

"Okay, I dare you to wear your shirt like this, too," Warren told him. Daniel swore, but did as he was told, albeit with a little more shyness than his roommate. "Now we match."

"And the only cost was my dignity," Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "All right-- I choose Chloe."

"Truth," she said, grinning. "Betcha thought I'd pick dare, right?"

Daniel gave a shrug and asked, "What does your tattoo mean?"

_ Huh, so they were getting personal now. _ Chloe smiled and extended her arm, flexing it to show off the details of the skull, red roses, twining vines and butterflies. Max found her eyes drawn to the way her muscles moved underneath the skin. "Pretty cool, right? Friend of mine from back home designed it for me. It's like--" her expression grew somewhat serious, "I just, wanted to always have something that was beautiful, even if everything else went to shit. Plus, skulls and roses are awesome. End of story." Chloe took a deep swig of her beer and then pointed at Kate. "Bible Belt, you're up. T or D."

"Me? Oh, uh..." Kate looked nervously down at her lap. Max shot Chloe a look, desperately urging her not to say anything mean or hurtful to the girl. "...Dare, I suppose."

"Woah! I would've put money on you picking truth," Chloe said, surprised. "Okay, you asked for it... I dare you to say the dirtiest swear words you can think of."

"O-oh," Kate said. "Umm... go to Hell!"

"Nice try," Chloe said, "but I'm positive you can do better than that. C'mon, you know what the words are." Kate mumbled something under her breath. "What was that? Speak up, I can't hear you."

"I said, DAMN YOU TO HELL YOU SHIT-EATING MOTHERFUCKER!!!" Kate yelled, then immediately covered her own mouth with a gasp.

A beat, then the entire room burst out laughing and clapping. Chloe in particular was laughing so hard she was rolling on the floor.

"Wow, Kate, I never knew you had it in you," said Brooke to her in awe. Kate gave a shy yet self-satisfied smile.

"Okay, next step: take both hands, and then slooooowly extend the middle fingers," Chloe said as she pushed herself up to a seated position. "I swear, we'll make a punk of you yet."

As the laughter quieted, Kate turned to Max. "All right Max. Truth, or dare?"

Much as she trusted Kate, Max was suddenly a little worried -- she knew more about Max's predicament than anybody else at that point. She could, with a too-probing question or dare, force Max to spill her guts in front of the entire room -- and Max wasn't ready for that just yet. Still, Max didn't think Kate would do such a thing; it just wasn't in her personality. "Truth," she said.

Kate's hazel eyes locked with Max's. "The person you mentioned earlier... are they in this room right now?"

Silence. Max felt like all eyes in the room were on her. A glowing blush began to creep from her ears to the rest of her face. She closed her eyes and gave a small nod.

"Woah, woah, what-- am I missing something here?" Warren asked, confused. "Somebody in this room?"

"Max has a seeeecret," Chloe teased, bumping her shoulder. Max blushed even harder. "C'mon, who is it?"

"Max answered my question, now it's her turn," Kate said matter-of-factly.

Max willed her heart to stop hammering for long enough that she could straighten out her thoughts. Okay, so that had been humiliating, but it could have been a lot worse. After all, she hadn't asked Max to name any names, or even say specifically what she'd been referring to. All that Kate had done was put the idea that Max was keeping a secret into the heads of everybody else... Max hoped that Chloe wouldn't press her too much on the issue.

The game continued, with Max giving Brooke a dare to sing an entire verse of a song that she liked, and Brooke responded by singing the entire opening theme of Attack on Titan in the original Japanese. They proceeded around the circle until the beers were all finished and Max was struggling to keep her head up. Seated next to Chloe, she found an easy excuse to lean against her side, enjoying the warmth of her body.

"Getting sleepy over there, Maxi Pad?" she asked fondly.

"Mmmm, a little..." she replied. The rest of the group were growing similarly lethargic, as well. "I think we should probably head back..."

"Yup," Chloe agreed, getting to her feet and hauling Max up along with her. "Well, I gotta say-- it's been hella fun. But I gotta take the princess back to bed before she collapses."

Warren gave them a salute. "Roger that. Thanks for coming! And don't forget what we agreed on earlier."

"I'd never pass up the chance to ruin Pres-cock's day," she said with a sly smile. Daniel tossed her a pair of keys, which she caught deftly.

"Don't lose those," he said, "and try your best to not get caught."

She scoffed. "As if. We'll be sneaky and silent-- won't we, Ninja Max?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah," she replied after a delay. She really was falling asleep on her feet. They got out their flashlights and stepped into the darkened hallway again -- Max had nearly forgotten they were in the Nature Center. As she was a little unsteady on her feet, Chloe wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright and guide her safely out of the building.

As they walked back towards Carson cabin, the light was turning grey again; they'd stayed up late, practically all night. Max hoped that when she at least did get to bed, her sleep would be undisturbed by strange dreams. Her best friend's presence by her side was reassuring.

As if she could tell Max was thinking of her, Chloe spoke up. "Hey... Max?"

"Yeah?"

"If there's..." her words faltered for a second. "I mean... I get it if there's some stuff you don't wanna tell me. But you can trust me, all right? Always." She looked down at Max, walking by her side; it was too dark for Max to read her expression.

A lump formed in Max's throat. Chloe was probably jealous that she'd shared something with Kate and not her-- but how could she, when the secret was about her feelings for Chloe? This whole thing was such a mess. When the moment came, she promised herself that she'd face the noise. All she needed to do was wait for the perfect time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter in 2016! Hope you enjoyed it :)  
> You might have noticed that we're getting closer and closer to the end of this story... but the best has yet to come, so stay tuned for that.  
> As always, thank you so much for reading and thanks to [herwhiteknight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/herwhiteknight) for beta-ing. More will be coming soon!


	11. Gold Rush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the last day of the camp session, and the Arcadia Pirates are determined to claim victory on the high seas.

In the morning of the final day of the camp session, the campers and staff of Camp Arcadia convened on the Arcadia Green. The last day of every two-week session was always a massive, camp-wide event, and this time was no exception. The crowd murmured in anticipation, wondering what the activity for today would be.

Director Wells took a step up onto the podium, and a hush fell over the crowd. He spread his arms out, and in a deep, booming voice began to explain the rules of the day.

"Here we are, on our last day all together as Arcadians," he began, which was met with murmurs from the gathered crowd. "As per tradition, we will all come together today for one final activity, which will be the culmination of your experiences here at camp. Today, we will all be partaking in the Great Arcadia Gold Rush." He then held out a small rock, painted gold, which glinted in the sunlight. "This is a piece of gold, one of many which will be scattered across camp," he explained. "You will be divided into three teams. Your goal is to collect as many of these gold pieces as you can, and deliver them to your team's base. At the end, the team with the greatest collection will be crowned the winners, and everyone on that team will get a prize."

The Director went on to explain that winning would not be so simple, as campers could also steal each other's gold if they managed to intercept each other before reaching the safe zone. Max knew from prior experience that the game could get pretty competitive. One had to constantly be on one's guard, or else risk an unexpected ambush. If somebody from the opposite side tapped your shoulder, you had to give up all the gold you were carrying.

For the most part, the Deer campers were raring to go. They had been largely transformed from the group of shy, nervous girls that had arrived on the first day into joyful, confident young women, braver than she'd even dreamed. Many of them had managed to make friends; she hoped that those friendships would last as long as hers and Chloe's had.

For the final event, their group was merged with the boys of the Elk group, the counselors of which -- Justin and Trevor -- Max wasn't all that familiar with. Chloe, however, seemed to at least be on good terms with the pair, given how they shared a fist bump once the teams were announced. Of course, the counselors weren't allowed to get directly involved in the competition, but it was hard not to root for the kids that they'd spent the past 2 weeks of their lives getting to know.

After the rules were explained, the Elk and Deer groups gathered together for a conference. Chloe was particularly excited that morning, eager to take charge. She stood on top a sawed-off stump and shouted out to the whole group of kids and counselors alike.

"Attention, pirate crew, this is Captain Chloe speaking!" The campers gathered around, looking up with curiosity and excitement. "As a long-time veteran of the high seas, I have orders for all you scalawags who want to win this game. And you'd better try your hardest, or you're not all the pirates I thought you were! But I know you are, and that means our team is gonna rule!"

The campers gave a cheer. Chloe basked in the attention and continued, "Number one: keep an eye out for your crew. You'll only take home the prize if you work together. Number two: be ruthless, and take no prisoners. If you see gold, grab it! If someone else has got it, steal it! That's the pirate way!" More cheers. "And lastly, number three, and this is the most important one: you all might think that this is just a game. But it's not just a game -- it's the end of an awesome two weeks. And the best way to celebrate the end of camp is with the sweet taste of victory! So win, by any means necessary! Now whoever's ready to win this thing, give me your best 'arrrrrr'!"

"Arrrr!" echoed back the campers, to Chloe's delight. Max watched the scene unfold, smiling uncontrollably. It was so cute to see her get all excited over the competition. Secretly, she worried that Chloe was setting them up for disappointment by focusing so much on the need to win. But, looking around at the spirited looks on the campers' faces, she decided that after a pep talk like that there was no way they weren't gonna try their absolute hardest.

Max watched as Chloe and Trevor handed out bandannas with their team's color, tying them on to complete the piratey look. After a minute, she joined Chloe at her side.

"Nice speech, Captain Chloe," Max told her. "You really got them all fired up."

She gave a shrug, a self-satisfied smile on her face. "I just kind of wanted to give them something to remember me by."

"Oh, trust me, they'll remember you all right. How many crazy, blue-haired, tattooed pirates do you think these kids have met in their lives?"

Chloe laughed at that, and Max's heart gave a lurch. It was the little moments which caught her off guard the most. 

“...I gotta ask, though: what’s with the whole ‘win no matter what’ thing? You sound like you’ve got something to prove,” Max said.

“Oh, yeah-- you wouldn’t know, since it’s something that’s been going on over the past years. Whoever’s group wins gets off cleaning duty for a week.” Chloe gave a wicked grin. “And I want to win, too, so that I can rub Victoria’s face in it. I wanna see her in a smock, mopping the floor.”

“Isn’t that kind of arbitrary?” Max wondered. “I mean, we can’t get involved with the game directly, so it’s out of our control…”

“Yeah, kinda. But it’s a test to see how well we manage to motivate them. And now that they’re part of the pirate crew, everyone else is gonna be walking the plank.”

It was Max’s turn to laugh at that.

***

The campers were dismissed for a final breakfast while the counselors remained on the green. Their job was to spread the rocks for the scavenger hunt; Max was handed a backpack filled with them and almost collapsed under its weight.

"Need a hand?" came a voice from behind her. She spun around, hoping to see Chloe but it was only Warren. He gave a bow, albeit a bit ungracefully, due to the heavy bag on his back. "I'll carry some of your rocks, if you like. I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything."

"Uh, thanks, Warren," she said, uncertain. "You look like you're having some trouble yourself, though."

"This? This is nothing," he said, although beads of sweat were forming on his brow and the straps were digging into his shoulders. "I'm totally fine."

Max regarded him suspiciously. Was it just her, or was Warren acting differently today? "If you say so," she said, handing him some of her personal hoard, which he placed in his own bag and hoisted onto his shoulder.

It was still morning, so the temperature wasn't even at its peak yet, but already the heat was getting to her. Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, she walked a wide circle around the green, periodically tossing the golden rocks out onto the lawn. Warren stuck by her like a loyal puppy, but as grateful as she was for his company, she found herself wondering where Chloe had run off to.

The two of them circled the Climbing Wall, scattering rocks as they went. Max craned her head up to look at the towering structure that rose from the green, its steep-sloping face covered in hand holds and climbing gear. A couple of days ago, they'd taken the Deer group there. With Chloe's encouragement, more than half of the group had managed to reach the top; Max was so proud of them all.

"So, Max," Warren said suddenly, "Are you excited for this party that's happening tonight?"

"You mean, the party you're trying to sabotage?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

Warren shook his head. "Nah, it's not like that. See, I'm just trying to sabotage Nathan and Victoria -- the party is fine by me. Totally fine."

"I dunno... I've never been much of a party person," she admitted.

"Yeah, but this is different," insisted Warren. "I mean, think about it! No campers to worry about, we get the whole beach to ourselves, we get to be as loud as we want... it's gonna be great!"

"I guess it could be. I never took you for a party animal, either," she said, looking at him oddly. Something was definitely different about him; he seemed animated by a strange energy.

"Usually, I'm not... but this year, I'm feelin' the heat, you know? Makes me want to get up and -- roar!" He punctuated the last word by hurling a rock as far as he could throw it; it arced a considerable distance before landing on the grass with a quiet thud. Max realized that, despite his wiry frame, Warren was a lot stronger than he seemed. He grinned at her, satisfied with himself. "Guess it's just the adrenaline, you know?"

"Um, sure, yeah," she said, subtly taking a step back. Warren's actions were making her feel kind of uncomfortable, but she was having trouble putting her finger on just why.

"Just, being here in Arcadia now, everything feels just right. It's like the planets are aligned," he said, a faraway look in his eyes. "We're young, and the future feels as though you could just, grab it and--"

He paused mid-sentence. Suddenly, he took a step closer to Max, getting up in her personal space. Max's eyes widened, but she stood frozen, a deer in headlights.

Warren reached out and brushed the side of Max's face with his hand. An icy chill shot down her spine at the touch. "I'm really looking forward to seeing you at that party, Max," he told her, his voice low. Then he stepped back, hoisted the bag on his shoulders, and turned away with a wave goodbye. Max remained where she stood, frozen in place.

Shit. Warren  _ totally _ had feelings for her. She was so fucked.

***

The scavenger hunt was well under way and Max, alone for the time being, paced along the perimeter of the green, thinking hard. That had been a remarkably forward move by Warren; he certainly wasn't the shy, nerdy boy she'd known in her childhood. It really didn’t come as a surprise that he felt the way that he did; after all, Warren had been her first kiss when they were thirteen and still campers. And, objectively, she could admit that he was kind of cute, with his enthusiastic nerdiness and all. But she didn’t feel the same way; she  _ couldn’t _ , not with Chloe in the picture.

She wondered if he’d somehow gotten the wrong idea from the truth or dare game they’d played last night. In retrospect, Kate’s intentional vagueness had backfired; Warren had likely figured out they were talking about a crush but wrongly assumed it was on him. That would explain his uncharacteristic confidence. Max gave a sigh. She didn’t want to hurt Warren, but one way or another, she was going to have to let him down.

She turned to watch the action on the green, where the campers were running around, shouting and shrieking, carrying the golden rocks. The ones from hers and Chloe’s group were easy to spot, due to the pirate bandannas they were all wearing. As she watched, a pair of girls ran by: Trisha and Amy, the two roommates who had disagreed so strongly on the first day. Max watched as together they chased down a camper from another group, tagged him, and took his gold. Seeing them play together as a team, she smiled. It felt so rewarding, watching these girls overcome their shyness to make friends. Two weeks felt like it was too short. Fortunately, Max thought to herself, she’d have six more weeks left at camp after this round of campers were gone.

Off in the distance, Max spotted a blue-haired figure. Her heart leapt in her chest and she jogged across the empty field to reach Chloe, who was standing near Merriam cabin, trying her hardest to look as non-suspicious as possible and not doing a very good job of it.

“Mad Max! There you are!” she exclaimed as she noticed Max approach, walking up to her. Her voice dropped to a low volume. “Okay, so I just checked in with Daniel, and Victoria and Dana are busy with the game right now, so now’s our perfect shot.” She produced the cabin key with a flourish. “I’m going to open the back door, so I need you to keep watch outside. Think you’re up for it, First Mate?”

“Aye aye, captain,” Max replied. “Get in there and find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

“I’m thinking it’ll be a gallon jug of vodka-- or gin, maybe. Whatever the case, it’ll be hard to hide from my eyes,” she said with pride. “Gimme a signal if anybody’s coming-- knock on the window or something. One knock for camper, two for counselor, three for emergencies.” She jingled the keys and disappeared around the back of the cabin.

Max leaned against the wall, trying to look nonchalant, as if she wasn’t aiding and abetting the Great Alcohol Heist of Camp Arcadia. Fortunately, the coast seemed to be clear; there weren’t any gold pieces scattered around the area, so the campers had no reason to come near. Most of them had their suitcases and bags packed already, preparing to leave when their parents arrived in the afternoon. From within the cabin, she heard the sound of a door shutting and furniture being dragged around; she really hoped that Chloe would cover her tracks before she left, otherwise they’d get found out for sure.

After a couple minutes’ waiting she began to grow bored. Leaning against the cabin’s outer wall, she enjoyed the partial shade of the trees which provided some respite from the hot sun. Nobody was coming, and waiting for Chloe was taking forever, so she decided to go in and check on her.

Walking around to the back door, she noticed it was slightly ajar and stuck her head inside. She found Chloe in there on her hands and knees, peering under a bed and grumbling to herself. Max cleared her throat; she jumped at the sound.

“Jesus! Max, you startled me,” she said, frowning. “Aren’t you supposed to be keeping watch?”

“I came in to check on you. Any luck?”

“No… I can’t find anything,” she grumbled. “It’s gotta be in the boys’ cabin. But, look, I found this!” She opened a drawer on one of the bedside tables and pulled something out. It was a delicate figurine of an anime character, one that Max vaguely recognized. Its fine details looked as though they'd been hand-painted; it was quite pretty and looked very expensive. “This was inside Victoria’s drawer. Max, I can’t believe this! She’s secretly a huge nerd!”

Max recognized a look of hunger in Chloe’s eyes. “You are  _ not _ stealing that,” Max told her.

“But Maaa-ax,” she whined, “Think of the blackmail potential!”

“She’ll definitely notice it if you do.”

“Ugh. I know, I know, you’re right,” Chloe said with a sigh, returning the anime figure to its place in the drawer. “I think we’re done here. Let’s go, before anybody--”

A knock at the front door interrupted her words. She and Max shared a horrified look, and then hurriedly set to work closing all the closets and cabinets that were opened in Chloe’s search. In a frenzied rush, they escaped out the back door, Chloe frantically closing and locking it behind them. Only when they were a safe enough distance away to have plausible deniability did they stop to catch their breath. Max’s heart was pounding, and she could taste the metallic tang of adrenaline in her mouth.

With a laugh, Chloe collapsed onto the grassy field, and after only a moment Max joined her. Both of them were breathing hard as they lay on their backs, catching their breath. They stared up at the blue sky, where white puffy clouds were slowly migrating across and the sun was nearly at its zenith. Chloe raised a hand and lazily traced the outline of one of the clouds with her finger.

Max rolled her head to one side so that she could look at her, and felt her heart pounding against the walls of her chest, although this time it wasn't just from adrenaline. Seeing Chloe like this, bright and uninhibited, the sunlight catching in her eyelashes, filled Max with a kind of happiness that was practically overwhelming. The thought came to her mind, unbidden: it would be so easy to just kiss her now, to close the foot or so gap between them and bring their lips together, and damn the consequences. But she hesitated a second too long, and anxiety mingled with the joy she felt; it wasn't the right time. She allowed her eyes to slide off Chloe and return to the vast sky overhead, contenting herself with just sharing this moment with her best friend.

“Well, that was a bust,” Chloe said after her breathing returned to normal, and the sound of her voice brought Max back down to reality again. “But hey, at least we got some juicy blackmail material out of it, right? Victoria Chase, the anime nerd…”

“Hey, you’re one to talk,” chided Max, “or did you forget that time when you told me the entire plot of the first five seasons of Sailor Moon, episode by episode?”

“Oh, c’mon, I was like, ten!” Chloe protested. “And besides, that show is a classic.”

“Right, and you’re telling me you didn’t dye your hair blue because it made you look like an anime heroine?”

“You’ll never prove it,” she said.

“How about when you showed me your manga collection--”

“All right, all right! Sheesh, you got me,” she said, but her tone didn’t sound all that exasperated. “I just never expected Miss Chase to have a secret nerdy side, you know?”

“Yeah,” Max admitted. “...It is kinda nice to know that she has interests, though.”

“Doesn’t matter to me. She’s still Supreme Bitch.”

“Maybe she deserves a second chance… she’s probably just insecure,” Max mused. “I bet if she had friends that let her know her interests were okay, then she wouldn’t need to act like a bully all of the time.”

“Look at you, all overflowing with forgiveness and shit. Remember, this is the girl spreading rumors about us behind our backs,” Chloe reminded her. Max’s smile fell at that. She was right; Victoria had been bad-mouthing Chloe and calling Kate a whore. As much as Max wanted to forgive her, she also had a duty to stand up for her friends.

After a minute, Chloe pushed herself up on her elbows. “...Well, our job’s still not finished. Time to break into Nathan’s place.” She got to her feet and offered Max a hand to help her up as well.

“Do you think we should check with Kate and Brooke, to make sure they’re keeping an eye on them?” Max wanted to know.

Chloe considered this, then shook her head. “...Nah, I’m sure they’ll be able to keep those boys occupied. Besides, in case you forgot, we’re on a limited time frame here. We’ve gotta take care of this before the game is over, otherwise we might not have another chance. So let’s go!”

Max nodded, and the two of them made their way to Audubon cabin, where Nathan and Hayden and the Badger group resided. It was the biggest and oldest cabin, and seemed far more elegant than the rough-cut wooden shoebox style that the rest of the cabins were built in. Max gazed up at it in awe; as a camper, she’d always wondered what it would be like to live there, although it had been a boy’s cabin for as long as she could remember. The look of the austere old building, wreathed by dense forest behind it, triggered her photo impulse. Taking out her camera, she got down on one knee to take an upward-looking picture that would capture the cabin’s majesty.

[SNAP!]

“Earth to Max,” came Chloe’s voice from around the side of the building. “When you’re done taking pictures, I’m gonna need you to keep watch for anybody coming.”

“Huh? Oh, okay…” Max pouted; she’d wanted to do some snooping herself.

Chloe noticed her expression and gave a loud sigh. “Fine, you can come in with me, but stand by the front window so that you can have a clear view before someone arrives.” Chloe unlocked the back door and the two of them slipped inside.

If the outside of Audubon was impressive, the inside was even more so. A stone fireplace and a chimney, coupled with tall ceilings and rafters, gave the place an entirely different feel from every other cabin. Above the fireplace, an impressively-adorned stag head hung on the wall. Looking at it provoked a shiver in Max; taxidermy always gave her the chills. From what she could remember from the long-ago history lesson they’d received, this cabin predated the foundation of Camp Arcadia itself, and had been built more than a hundred years ago, designed to withstand the often harsh winters.

The urge to snoop some more became too great, and so she poked her head into the master bedroom, where Chloe was already hard at work opening closets, drawers and peeking under beds. It was almost twice as big as her and Chloe's room in Carson, which made her more than a little jealous. It was apparent which side of the room was Hayden's and which was Nathan's; Hayden's had clothes haphazardly strewn on the floor and over the bed, which was typical of every teenage boy's room that Max had seen. Nathan's side, on the other hand, was clean -- almost meticulously so, to Max's surprise. He had a poster hung on the wall of a pin-up girl in tight leather clothes, with a collar around her neck; looking at it made Max feel sick to her stomach. What kind of message would that send to the campers that saw it?

Chloe looked up and saw Max staring. "I know, this place is weirdly fascinating, but I need you to keep watch, Mad Max!" She opened up the closet door and began rifling through the coats that hung there. "Just give me a minute, I know it's in here somewhere..."

Max nodded and went back out into the common room. The feeling of uneasiness pervaded; she felt increasingly desperate, hoping that Chloe would find what they were looking for so that they could get out of there, fast. As she stood in the middle of the room, she noticed a closed door off to the side. After trying the doorknob and finding it was unlocked, Max opened it to find stairs leading up.

"Chloe! I found something!" she called. Chloe came out of the master bedroom, cursing under her breath; she'd struck out there too, it seemed. When she saw the staircase, though, her frown turned into a grin.

"Jackpot! I'd bet actual cash money that this is where they keep the goods. Sharp eye, sistah! What would I ever do without you, Super Max?" She began climbing the stairs, while Max looked away so as to hide the blush on her face.

Upstairs, there was an attic that was used for storage. The ceiling was low and slanted, forcing both of them had to crouch. A single grimy window let in just enough light to see by. They found an odd assortment of camp equipment -- harnesses and ropes for the zipline and rock climbing wall, old backpacks for hiking expeditions, life vests with rips in them, deflated inner tubes... until they came across an old wooden sea chest. It looked nearly identical to the one that was in Chloe's shack in the woods; in fact, it could be its double. Chloe approached it, running her hands across the top. "It's in here. I'm sure of it." She went to lift the lid, but as she did so became aware that the box was locked with a padlock. "...Shit! Wonder if there's a key around here... Max, can you help me look--"

She was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming downstairs. Instantly the both of them fell silent as voices resonated up through the floorboards.

"--totally sucks, but I can just get Dana to cover for me. All I would need is to mention what she was doing with Justin at that party and she'll do anything I ask," came a woman's voice. Victoria's.

"I still can't fucking believe they won," complained a male voice, which had to be Nathan. "God, my group would've won, too, if we hadn't been paired up with the fucking Otters of all people."

Max and Chloe shared a frantic look. "Quick! Hide!" Chloe hissed, and the two of them ducked behind the large wooden chest. Chloe hurriedly grabbed a handful of life jackets and backpacks and threw them on top as they crouched, trying to make themselves as small as possible. Max tried her hardest to still her breathing; her heart was in her throat and she was positive that it was pounding so loud it would give them both away in an instant.

"Quit your bitching already, no one actually cares," Victoria said. "And anyway, if you don't want to clean, I'm sure you could get the stoners to do it for you for a dime."

"I  _ would _ , if a certain blue-haired  _ bitch _ didn't trash half my stash!" raged Nathan.

"She really is out of control," agreed Victoria. "Her and her brand new little chew toy, Max Caulfield. Hey, did I tell you how she spilled her juice all over me in the dining hall? She is such a spaz. But I guess it's good that weirdos and freaks like them can have each other."  Max felt Chloe give a twitch by her side, and squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"...Hey, why's the attic door open?" Nathan said suddenly, and icy panic shot through Max's veins. "I keep telling Hayden to lock it. He's such a dumb shit sometimes." They heard the sound of a door slam, and the click of a lock. Max let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding; that probably meant Nathan wouldn't be coming upstairs to check. But they weren't out of the woods yet.

"Hurry it up and grab your cash already, we're supposed to be on the green in ten minutes," Victoria said. Nathan gave an inaudible reply and the sound of his footsteps moved in the direction of the master bedroom.

"Yo, what the fuck? Someone's been through my stuff. This wasn't here before," Nathan said. "Jesus Christ, if anybody touched my tablet I will personally find them and make them suffer for it,"

"Again, nobody cares about your dumb tablet, or your stupid cat pics," said Victoria. "I bet it was a camper trying to pull a prank. You know how they get on the last day."

"I don't get it, I locked the door and everything. How the fuck...?" There were some rustling noises coming from downstairs. "Well, they didn't take my tablet at least, but if I find out anything's been stolen, I'm going to get the camp to pay me back for it. God, I am so fucking ready for two days without having to deal with kids crying and pissing everywhere. We are gonna get so fucking lit tonight, it'll be legendary."

"Tonight and tomorrow," Victoria agreed. "God knows I need it right now."

Max kept on holding her breath as the voices downstairs diminished, until she heard the door slam. She relaxed; all of the tension falling away with a sigh.

“Holy shit,” breathed Chloe, “that was intense.” She moved to get up, but was met with some difficulty; crammed into that tiny space, with backpacks and floatation devices weighing them down, she found that she couldn’t move her legs. “Uh, Max-- can you maybe move first? My legs kinda sorta fell asleep.”

Max made to push herself up off of a nearby pile, but her hand slipped, sending a cascade of junk on top of them, pushing her down and pinning them in an awkward, uncomfortable position. This was worse.  _ Way _ worse, not to mention the fact that their bodies were now pressed up together in a way what was more than a little suggestive; Max felt her face heat up as she realized she was now inches away from Chloe’s chest, not to mention one of her legs had managed to slip in between Max’s thighs. She suppressed a moan that she hoped she could pass off as anguish, and  _ not  _ arousal.  _ Why, libido, why now? _

“...Comfy?” Chloe asked in a teasing tone, and Max realized she must have frozen in place.

“Uh, yeah, I mean, no, sorry, let me just--” Max struggled to extricate herself, which only made the friction worse. To make matters even worse, Chloe was smiling, and acting infuriatingly passive as Max tried to dislodge her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Max managed to slip out of the crevice and found herself standing on solid ground again, helping Chloe clamber out behind her. Max was fairly positive she was a human-shaped blush by that point, whereas Chloe was wearing a sly grin.

"Um, so, we should probably get a move on," Max suggested. "You heard Victoria, the game is done and they'll be expecting us on the green again soon. We've gotta find that key."

"Already found it," Chloe said with a grin, brandishing the small key with a flourish. "It was behind the chest where we were hiding. Now, allow me..." She bent down to insert the key into the padlock, which opened with a snap. With a grunt of exertion, she lifted the heavy lid of the treasure chest, revealing the contents within. "Bingo! Keymaster Chloe, at your service."

Inside the chest was what they'd come for: a large, unmarked glass jug containing about a gallon of clear liquid. The box also held a bong which probably belonged to Nathan or Hayden, a plastic bag filled with weed, rolling papers and a lighter. Chloe lifted the jug out by its handle, then grabbed an old backpack from the pile and stuffed the jug inside. She gently closed the lid of the chest, returned the key to its resting place and gave Max the all-clear. Max nodded, and tiptoed down the stairs out of the attic, only to find that the door had been closed by Nathan. When she tried the handle, it was locked from the outside.

"Shit! I think we're locked in," Max called up the stairs. When she didn't hear a reply, she climbed up the stairs again to find Chloe standing by an opened window, with one foot already over the windowsill.

"Way ahead of you, Max," she said, ducking her head underneath until she was standing outside on the roof, with the backpack containing the pilfered alcohol on her back. She offered Max a hand, helping her onto the roof behind her. Looking down, Max felt her heartbeat speed up; they were on the second floor, fairly high up. Chloe closed the window shut behind them and pointed to a gutter they could use to climb down. She went first, swinging nimbly over the edge and gripping the sides of the gutter to slide down with ease. She turned around and looked up at Max, gesturing that she should follow. Max swallowed her fear and backed down off the edge of the roof, her hands gripping the pipe tightly. After a moment's hesitation, she surrendered to gravity and allowed herself to slide all the way down to the ground. The moment before she hit the earth, she felt strong hands catch her and opened her eyes again, realizing she'd involuntarily closed them in her descent. Turning around, she met eyes with Chloe again, who was brimming with excitement over their successful heist.

"That was awesome! Way to go, Super Max!" Chloe cheered. Max felt pretty exhilarated, too; she felt like a real pirate. Chloe shouldered the backpack, grinning uncontrollably. "I gotta drop this thing off, so you go to the green and cover for me until I get there, all right? And you can tell the others the mission has been successfully accomplished."

"Sure thing," Max said with a nod, and then Chloe took off. Max watched her go, a bright and bold feeling burning in her chest. When they were together, she felt as though they could do anything. With Chloe by her side, Max felt invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearly at the climax! Next chapter will be THE big one, so get excited :D  
> Thanks again to [herwhiteknight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/herwhiteknight) for betaing, and to all of you for reading!


	12. Bonfire Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of the party, and Max has something she has to tell Chloe -- if she can find her, that is.

The hours preceding midnight were quickly becoming Max's favorite time of day. The summer nights seemed to stretch on and on, as bright and rich as the days preceding. She'd take catnaps in the afternoon and stay up nearly all night long, staring up at the clear, brilliant stars that stretched from corner to corner across the sky. With Chloe at her side, they filled her with a relentless energy. Sleep was an unnecessary distraction.

The air felt like it was humming with energy as Max walked down the gravel path to the beach. A bright, full moon hung low in the sky, magnified by the atmosphere and bathing the ground in light that was almost as clear as day. In the distance, she could already hear voices, shouts, and the low thud of bass music. She walked alone; Chloe had gone elsewhere for the time being, mentioning that she needed to check on their “pirate’s hoard” before slipping away. That was just as well, because Max needed some time alone to think, and contemplate what she was going to do that night.

It was a full moon, just like Samuel had said. That meant tonight was the night. Tonight, she would tell her.

As she passed through the trees and stepped on to the beach, she saw that most of the other counselors were already gathered there. Trevor and Justin, the boys from the Elk group, were seated by the fire, passing a joint between them. Hayden stood by a set of loudspeakers that were borrowed from the camp center and was DJing off of his iPod; it was a  [ song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPKAwJKGSDc) that she recognized. Close to the shore, she spotted Daniel, Warren and Kate standing in a loose circle. It was unmistakable the way Warren's eyes lit up as soon as he noticed her, and he came running across the sand in bare feet to greet her.

"Max! Boy, am I glad to see you!" he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Max noticed that the three of them were holding plastic disposable cups. Warren followed Max's gaze, raising his cup in the air in response. He grinned at her. "Don't worry, it's only soda, no alcohol -- thanks to you, your pirateyness."

"Nice job on that, by the way," Daniel added, his voice low. "I knew we were right to count on you."

"Ah, it was mostly all Chloe, not me..." she said, running fingers through her hair nervously. "Have Nathan and Victoria showed up yet?"

"Nope," Warren said with a smile. "I'm willing to bet they're only just discovering it's missing now and they're freaking out."

"Shhh!" urged Kate. "Not so loud, or people will find out."

"It's a small camp," Warren said with a shrug. "People'll figure it out eventually." He leaned in closer to Max. "So, what did you do with the stuff?"

Max glanced back at the entrance to the beach, as if expecting Chloe to appear while they were talking about her. "...Chloe took it somewhere. I don't know where." 

That was a lie; Max figured she'd probably hidden it in her shack in the woods. But she didn't feel like telling the others about that yet. It was better that the shack's existence was kept a secret between Max and Chloe.

"I kind of hope she didn't dump it out..." Warren said, sounding wistful. Kate gave him a wary look. "...What? I mean, it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste..."

"It's better like this," Daniel said firmly.

Kate looked a bit relieved at that, and Max's heart rose. That's right; all of these alcohol-stealing shenanigans were for Kate's sake. And also a kind of revenge, although Max didn't like to think of herself as the revenge-seeking type. But, when her friends were being threatened, she'd defend them tooth and nail if she had to.

After a momentary silence, Warren changed the subject. "Why don't I get you ladies a soda? Max, are you a 7-up person, or more a fan of Root Beer?"

"Usually water, actually," she said, but when Warren looked at her, nonplussed, she amended: "...7-up is good too." He gave a satisfied nod at that and left the circle to fetch a pop for Max. After a moment, Daniel excused himself as well.

Kate watched the two of them go. "So," she said, looking at Max, "thanks for doing that, Max. For standing up for me in the whole thing with Nathan and Victoria, I mean. I... really appreciate what you did."

"For sure, Kate. Any time." Max smiled. "I didn't like what was going on with them any more than anybody else did."

"That was really brave of you... you're quite strong, Max."

Max didn't know what to say in response to that. "...Uh. Thanks, but I don't think so, it's Chloe that's the bold one. I mainly just follow along."

"I don't think she could have done it without your help, though. The two of you together are a real force to be reckoned with." Kate gave her a small knowing smile..

“Uh.. yeah..,” Max muttered, tracing a line in the sand with the tip of her toe as she tried to pretend that she had no idea what Kate was talking about. “I guess we are.”

"So, are you going to tell her tonight how you really feel?"

It didn't register for a second what she'd said, and then it felt like a brick had been dropped in Max's stomach. She stared up at Kate, mouth agape, but the girl was just smiling placidly as usual, her eyes fixed on Max's with a calm, knowing expression. Max spluttered, "What? H-how... how did you know..."

"I figure stuff out, Max," she said serenely. "You're going to have to find a way to break it to Warren, though. I think he has his own ideas for tonight. Oh, here he comes now." Max turned to where Warren and Daniel were approaching again, laden with red solo cups.

Warren passed Max her drink and tapped his own to the rim of it, brushing the backs of their fingers together as he did so. "Cheers, ladies," he said with a smile on his face, and he looked up to make eye contact with Max. He gave her a grin and winked at her.

"I, uh..." Max suddenly felt flustered. Being in Warren's vicinity was suddenly too much to handle, and she was nervous he'd try to make a move on her. "Sorry, I'll be right back," she said, and backed away from the circle. Warren gave her a puzzled look but didn’t question it, allowing Max to breathe a sigh of relief.

Separate from the rest of the group, she walked along the edge of the shore, watching as the dark water lapped gently against the sand. Above the lake, the full moon filled the sky with light, which was in turn reflected by the waters of the Bay. She made herself take another deep breath; she was fine. Things were going to be fine. So what if Kate, and presumably half of Arcadia, had figured it out already? It didn't matter what anybody else thought; the only people concerned were Max and Chloe.

She walked along the beach in the direction of the Nature Center, with the intention of using the bathrooms there to wash up and regain her composure. She watched along the shoreline, feeling the coarse, wet sand between her toes and watching the water lap serenely against the coast. As she approached the Center, however, she heard new voices in the distance.

"...Someone took it, I'm telling you, it wasn't me," said a male voice, strained in anger and frustration, which Max distinctly remembered from that spine-chilling moment in the attic in Audubon. Nathan had arrived at the party.

"Uh-huh. You know, it wouldn't be such a big deal that you forgot, if you hadn't promised to everybody in camp that you'd have our supplies by now," came Victoria's voice by his side. The voices were coming closer, and then Max caught sight of them as they stepped onto the beach. Both of them looked distraught. Nathan's face wore a deep frown, and Victoria had an air of affronted disappointment. Then, despite Max's attempts at being invisible, Nathan noticed her staring at them. His flashing eyes met hers and burned with intensity.

"What the fuck are you looking at, Caulfield?" He spat, rounding on her. She took a step back, involuntarily; Nathan was scary when he was angry.

"I'm not-- I'm not looking at anyone, I swear," she said, hurriedly. Victoria rolled her eyes.

Nathan regarded her suspiciously. "Did you take it? You're acting like you know something I don't." He jabbed a finger in her direction. "What the hell are you hiding?"

Max's heart pounded but she stood her ground. Nathan was just spouting hot air; she didn't need to be afraid of him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she told him, feigning innocence. "How can I be hiding something if I don't know what it is?"

"You think you're  _ so smart _ ," he hissed at her through grit teeth. Victoria came up beside him and rested her hand on his elbow; Max noticed that Nathan relaxed slightly at the touch.

"God, you're so paranoid," she said to him. "Just look at her. Freckles totally doesn't know a thing, as usual." Victoria looked down her nose at Max disdainfully. "Because you're so clueless, I guess I'll explain. Our party supplies have gone missing, and  _ he _ thinks someone took them. I think that's a convenient excuse to cover up the fact that he forgot."

"I told you already, I had a whole handle!" protested Nathan. "Someone broke in and took it. They went through my shit, too! You were there!" He glared at Max. "If I find out you're lying, bitch, I'll--"

"You'll what?" Max interrupted, suddenly courageous. "I told you, I don't know anything. I'm not afraid of you, either."

Victoria whistled in surprise. "Wooooow, this kitty has claws. Real cute, Maxine."

"It's Max," she replied curtly. "Never 'Maxine'. And if you don't have any more empty accusations to make, I'm gonna go, now." she walked past the two of them towards the Nature Center. She expected to hear Nathan or Victoria call back a smart-assed retort, but apparently her boldness had shocked the two of them into a momentary silence. Resisting the urge to look back over her shoulder, she slipped inside of the darkened building.

Closing the door behind her, she let out a sigh of relief. Standing up to Nathan and Victoria's faces had been scary, but not as hard as she'd feared. She figured that they were so used to people being complacent and not challenging their authority, then had no idea how to react when somebody actually stood their ground. Besides, after having snooped through their rooms, Max felt as though she understood them better as people. They were all in the same position, sharing the same experience for eight weeks, and Nathan and Victoria were no different: they had their own interests and insecurities as much as anyone else. Max thought of Victoria's secret love of anime, and Nathan's tablet filled with cat pics. They were just people, same as anyone.

She looked around the dark hallway in the nature center. It was still creepy at night, although the bright moonlight was pouring in through a window, illuminating the walls and floor in white and silver hues. With one hand against the wall to guide her, Max walked to the end of the hallway where the bathrooms were and fumbled for the light switch. She walked up to the sink in order to wash her hands and splash water on her face.

Looking up at herself in the mirror, she noticed how her time spent at camp had changed her already. The amount of time she spent in the sun had more than quadrupled the number of freckles on her face. She still had a braid in her hair that Kate had done for her, which was tied off with a bright-colored string and a bird feather she'd found in the woods. Her time with the kids had made her feel more mature, and yet more like a child than she had in years. Being with Chloe probably had a lot to do with it, too.

Seeing her reflection reminded Max of something. She took her camera out of its bag and held it up to the mirror. A selfie -- it had been a while since she'd taken one, but the time seemed right just then, for some reason. 

[SNAP!]

As the polaroid printed and Max stared at it, waiting for it to develop, her thoughts drifted to Chloe again.

Chloe. Max wondered where she'd gone, and when she'd get to see her that night. They had a lot to talk about.

***

When Max exited the Nature Center, she found that most of the other counselors had gathered around the fire, which could now be properly called a bonfire. Whatever Justin and Trevor had done to tend the fire, it was now burning tall and bright, throwing dramatic shadows across the beach and illuminating the faces of the people sitting around it in a circle. A  [ new song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_HMI1j00Y) was playing. Max recognized Dana, Hayden, Brooke, Daniel, Warren, Kate, Victoria and Nathan-- everybody was there, apart from Chloe. As Max joined the circle, Warren handed her a long, slim stick with several marshmallows already speared on it.

"For you," he said. "Where'd you disappear to, anyway? You sure left in a hurry."

"I just went to wash up, but then I ran into..." she trailed off and then tilted her head towards Nathan and Victoria, who were seated across the fire from them and quietly bickering.

"Oh. Did they say anything? If they did something to hurt you, Max..." he looked concerned.

"I'm fine. Seriously," she told him. "Has anybody seen Chloe?"

"I haven't seen her," said Daniel. Warren looked away at the mention of Chloe and put his marshmallow directly into the flames. Max wished fervently that Chloe would arrive; the longer she took to do so, the greater the chance was that Warren would try to awkwardly make a move on her. As Max toasted her marshmallows, she looked at the faces seated around the circle. If this was supposed to be The Big Party, the atmosphere was definitely a lot more sedate than she had anticipated. A joint was being passed around the far side of the circle; Max watched as Brooke took a hit and offered it to Kate, who politely declined, so she passed it to Dana instead. The girl took a hit, then made eye contact with Max, who was seated on the far side of Kate.

"Hi, Max," Dana said, exhaling smoke from her lips as she talked, "I feel like I've barely seen you these past two weeks."

"Yeah... sorry about that. I guess our group's schedules have been completely out of whack," Max replied apologetically.

"I know! It's, like, so hard to hang out with the other girl groups sometimes, you know? Which is crazy because it's not like this place is that big, or anything."

"Yeah. We should hang out some more next week," Max said with a nod.

"Oh my gosh, totally! I feel like I still don't know you at all... but that might just be since I already know everyone else here, like, super well. Anyway, here, you want?" she asked, offering Max the joint.

After a moment of hesitation, Max reached out and took it from between her fingers. She could do this; she'd practiced with Chloe before, in the shack. The tip glowed as she inhaled, just a little bit so that she wouldn't embarrass herself with a coughing fit. She wasn't really doing it because she wanted to get high; she still didn't really see the point of that. But it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Lost in thought, she stared out at the dark waters of the Bay, which were reflecting the light of the moon. The lake wasn’t as still and serene as before -- something was casting ripples across it, despite the relatively windless night. Max frowned. What could be out there on the lake at this time of night?

"All right,  _ THAT'S IT! _ " came a sudden, loud shout from across the circle, and Max sputtered in surprise and dropped the joint in the sand. Nathan had stood up, and in the firelight Max could see that his hands were clenched into fists and trembling with rage. "I know that one of you fuckers took my booze that I bought specifically for this party! So which of you was it?" His fiery gaze scrutinized every one who was seated around in the circle. He pointed at Justin and Trevor, who were seated in a haze of pot smoke. "Was it you? You got so high that you thought it'd be fuckin' funny to fuck with me?"

"Hey, bro, chillax," said Justin. "We like, totally didn't touch your stuff, man. Honest."

Victoria gave an exaggerated sigh. "Nathan, it's obviously not them, or they'd have stolen your weed and not the liquor."

Nathan ignored her and rounded on Daniel and Warren. " _ You. _ I know it was you. You and your little aspergers nerd club did it. You think this is revenge for last year, huh? You thought it would be a good idea to mess with my shit? You're fucking wrong. I will make your lives a living hell for the rest of camp."

Max looked across at Kate, Daniel and Warren. Kate’s eyes had gone wide with fear, and Daniel looked stern. But Warren stood up, looking squarely at Nathan from across the fire. He had several inches on the other boy, so in the firelight he cut an impressive figure. He held out the stick he had been using to roast marshmallows, brandishing it like a sword. "It wasn't us," he said, with only the hint of a quaver in his voice, "but even if it was, it wouldn't matter. Because you can't do shit to us.”

“I’ll fuck you up,” Nathan hissed through grit teeth. “Do you understand? You’re like nothing to me. There’s no place in Arcadia for losers like you.”

“Then you don’t know what Arcadia is, Nathan,” countered Warren. “We aren't your-- your campers that you can just boss around. So take a hint, already. You don't own this camp, so quit acting like you do."

Nathan growled and spat in the fire. He staggered his stance; he looked like a rottweiler about to bite. Warren rolled his shoulders and cracked the joints in his neck. Max looked frantically between the two of them. Were they really going to fight, right here by the bonfire? Nathan had a feral look at his eyes; he might really hurt Warren if he got his hands on him. For that matter, Warren had all the pent-up rage of a downtrodden nerd on his side. If they started a fight, as it looked like they were about to, neither of them would make it out unscathed--

"ATTENTION, ALL YOU ARCADIA DORKS!" came a new voice, echoed and amplified by a loudspeaker. It was coming from the direction of the Bay. All heads turned to the source of the sound, and Max's heart skipped a beat -- she knew that voice.  _ Chloe _ .

Twenty feet out from the shore, illuminated by the light of the full moon, stood Chloe Price, balanced atop a canoe, which was casting ripples out across the waters of the Bay. In one hand she was holding a loudspeaker; in the other, a glass bottle filled with clear liquid.

"Hey, Pres-cock!" she yelled, hoisting the jug into the air. "Looking for this?"

Nathan spun towards her, confusion and rage mixing in his expression. "You thieving bitch! I should have known it was you from the start! You stole my booze!"

"Uh-huh! You want this back, right?" she said, teasingly waving the bottle above her head.

“Are you fucking crazy?! That’s  _ mine! _ ”

“Too bad!” Then she uncorked the bottle and turned it upside-down, emptying it out into the lake. Nathan gave an incoherent howl of rage in response and lunged towards the shore, but Warren was quicker. With surprising agility, he’d snuck up behind Nathan and grabbed the back of his polo shirt, pulling it up and over Nathan's eyes. Nathan stumbled, tripped, and fell onto the sand. Chloe cackled into the loudspeaker.

Murmurs of confusion, shock and amazement went through the crowd. Victoria looked affronted; Warren on the other hand was grinning like crazy, standing over Nathan who was struggling to disentangle himself. Max suddenly realized that Chloe was looking right at her

“Max! Are you there? Get your butt over here already!” called Chloe through the loudspeaker.

Hearing her name sent a bolt of energy through Max, and she was on her feet in an instant. She threw off the strap of her camera bag, leaving it behind as she started running across the sand towards the shore. The fact that she was fully clothed and Chloe was in the middle of the lake suddenly didn’t matter to her at all. Her bare feet splashed into the water as she waded out waist-deep, then up to her chest, until finally her feet could barely touch the bottom. Her shirt and shorts were completely soaked, but she didn't care as she swam the last few feet up to the side of the canoe. Chloe looked down over the edge of the boat, grinning like crazy. She clasped arms with Max, hauling her on board; the canoe rocked furiously for a few seconds before stilling.

"We are the Pirates of Arcadia Bay! We show no mercy, and we take no prisoners!" Chloe yelled, grabbing a paddle and beginning to row away. As they pulled away from the beach, she yelled back, "Remember us, dweebs!"

Max grabbed a second paddle and helped her row away, too, until the commotion and firelight on the beach disappeared around a bend, and then she relaxed against the side of the boat. Chloe did too, as the canoe drifted to a stop in the middle of the lake. As soon as they managed to catch their breath, the two of them burst out laughing, and didn't stop until their sides ached and the canoe rocked in the water. Every one of Max’s senses felt like they were in overdrive, like every second that passed carried ten times more meaning than normal. How could this be real? Her clothes were completely soaked and yet Max felt a burning warmth inside her, brighter and hotter than the bonfire on the beach.

"Wowsers," Max said, nearly breathless. 

“Yeah, right?” Chloe said in a playful tone. She leaned forward in the boat, looking at Max through her bangs.

"Chloe, that was... you were..." Speechless, she looked up at Chloe, locking eyes with her. She was so beautiful in the light of the moon and the stars, and in that moment something within Max snapped. She surged forward, rocking the boat furiously, and grabbed hold of the front of Chloe's shirt as she pressed their lips together. Chloe stilled, surprised for a moment, and then she was kissing back with equal intensity, and Max melted into her. It was better than in her dreams, the warm wet heat of Chloe's mouth against hers, and under where her hand was knotted in the front of Chloe's shirt she could feel the other girl’s heart pounding away furiously. In that moment, which felt as though it lasted forever frozen in time, everything was perfect.

After that tiny eternity, they finally pulled apart, and Chloe looked at Max like she was seeing her for the first time all over again. "Wow. Wow. Max, I..."

"There's... something I've been meaning to tell you," Max said, her quiet voice seeming loud in the utter stillness of the lake.

"How... how long?" Chloe asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

"Since that night in the house in the woods, but... probably longer than that," Max said. "Probably a lot longer." Chloe looked at her, her pupils blown wide and the moonlight reflected in her eyes. She leaned in and then they were kissing again, as Chloe wrapped her long arms around Max's shoulders and kissed her like she was making up for lost time. The canoe wobbled underneath, but, wrapped up as they were in each other, neither of them cared very much.

"God, Max Caulfield," Chloe said against the corner of her mouth, "You could have saved me a lot of time and trouble if you'd only said something sooner."

"Wh-what?" Max said, her voice stuttered by a small gasp as Chloe kissed the soft skin underneath her jawline.

"I mean, I've spent almost the entire two weeks hoping that you'd be," she pressed another kiss to Max's temple, "but I was never quite sure. You're not exactly the best at flirting, you know."

"I'm not," she admitted, "but you more than make up for it."

"Are you kidding? I felt like I wasn't getting through to you at all," she said with a small laugh. "I was wondering how many times I'd have to parade in front of you half-naked from the shower before you got the picture."

"Oh, I got it all right," Max replied with a smile. "I got it so bad that it kept me up all night."

"Are you serious? Sheez... I don't know how we didn't figure this out sooner." Chloe looked at her in disbelief. "Let me be perfectly clear: Maxine Caulfield, I think you are hella cute, and I wanna touch your butt, as, like, a regular thing."

Max laughed and kissed her again. "I think that that can be arranged."

***

After some more long minutes of making out, Max started to shiver despite the shared heat of their bodies. Her clothes were still soaked from swimming in the lake, and there was a chill in the late night air, so as per Chloe’s insistence they rowed back to shore. Avoiding the main beach area where the others were, they instead pulled up to the secret cove behind Carson cabin -- the same beach that Max had discovered on the first morning, where she’d taken Chloe’s picture standing on the edge of the water.

Together, they dragged the canoe out of the lake, tipping it over to drain the water that had collected in the bottom from when Max had climbed inside. Chloe gathered the loudspeaker and empty bottle under one of her arms, and then their hands found each other as if drawn together magnetically. Both of them had smiles on their faces which refused to go away.

“I still can’t believe you stole a canoe,” Max said as Chloe led them along the darkened path through the woods towards the cabin.

“Of course I did! What else would a pirate do?” She looked back at Max over her shoulder, flashing her a grin. “I got the idea from you, though.”

“From me? When?”

“From when we were kids, duh!” she gave a little laugh. “You reminded me of it. By the way, did you know it’s really easy to pick the lock to the boating shack?”

Max laughed as the two of them emerged from between the trees, arriving at the cabin. She still felt as though she was in a waking dream, but all the sensations that she was feeling, the warmth of their joined hands and the sense memory of Chloe’s lips on hers, were too real to deny. The other girl felt the same way she did, and Max could kiss her anytime she liked -- such as this exact moment, as Chloe was unlocking the door. She acted on impulse and kissed her up against the wall of the cabin, reveling in the thrill of her warmth and the taste of her soft mouth, like roast marshmallows and a hint of cheap liquor.

Chloe placed her hands on Max’s shoulders and gently pushed her away. “Max, you’re soaking wet, and not in like a sexy way or anything,” she told her fondly. “Let’s get inside and get you out of those clothes before you catch something.”

Max acquiesced with a little reluctant sigh, and Chloe opened the door to the darkened cabin. It felt so empty without the campers, but in just a few days she knew the place would be packed again. For now, though, they had it all to themselves; the thought sent a shiver down Max’s spine which certainly wasn’t all due to the cold. All by themselves, with a convenient excuse for Max to take off her clothes…

Max’s mouth felt dry all of a sudden. She liked Chloe, and Chloe liked her back, but… she didn’t want to ruin things by taking it too fast. After all, they had six more weeks together.

Six weeks. She took a deep breath and gave a happy sigh. Six weeks with Chloe, who she could kiss any time she liked, now. Six weeks of waking up and seeing her each morning, of getting breakfast with her in the dining hall. Six more weeks of singing camp songs together, of telling dumb jokes just to hear her laugh. Six weeks of getting on each others' nerves and pulling pranks on the other counselors. Six weeks of sneaking out late at night for crazy adventures in the woods. Six more weeks of photographs, of memories and new experiences they'd make together.

Despite the cold wet clothes, Max felt an irrepressible warmth inside of her. She opened the door to their room and stepped inside, closing it behind her with a click.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, everyone! It's been a long time coming, but I hope the payoff was as satisfying for you as it was for Max. Next chapter will be the epilogue!
> 
> The songs in this chapter were:  
> Empire of the Sun - Alive  
> Alt-J - Bloodflood (Parts 1 & 2)
> 
> I'd like to extend a special thanks to [herwhiteknight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/herwhiteknight) for betaing, and every one of you who left a fav or commented. Reading all your feedback is definitely the highlight of my day <3


	13. Fragments of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe deal with the aftermath of their actions the night before, and address the unspoken question that still remains between them.

“You stole a canoe.”

Camp Director Wells’ iron stare felt like a lance piercing straight through Max. In retrospect, after the stunt that they pulled it was inevitable that word was going to get out. She sat in his office, along with Chloe, Nathan, and Kate, all of them having been summoned in order to explain what had transpired on the night of the bonfire. Nathan seemed mollified, embarrassed to be there but unable to show outward rage in front of the Director. Kate clutched at her skirt, still nervous about being in the room with Nathan yet steadfast and resolute. Currently, the Camp Director’s attention was turned on Chloe, who was bearing his admonishments with a carefully neutral expression on her face.

“Not only did you break into the boating shed without permission or clearance, but you also operated it without proper safety procedures, in such a manner that could have caused permanent damage to the canoe.” Director Wells looked sternly at Chloe, his fingers steepled on his desk.

“It didn’t, though,” protested Chloe, and for once Max silently wished she would keep her mouth shut.

“The fact that no damage occurred is irrelevant. What matters is that it was irresponsible and unprofessional. And furthermore,” he said, turning towards Nathan, “I cannot ignore reports that you were bringing and distributing alcohol in this camp, in blatant disregard of our drug and alcohol policy, nor the implication that you have been engaged in sexual harassment of your co-workers.”

Nathan looked away, unable to talk back to him or deny the accusation. Kate looked straight ahead, staring at nothing. Director Wells looked between her and Nathan and sighed.

“Can anyone explain what is going on in a way that I can understand? If nobody is willing to step forward and accept responsibility, then I will have no choice but to take actions against all of you.”

“...It was my idea,” said Max in a quivering voice. The rest of the room looked at her in shock; her stomach flip-flopped in fear but she continued, “...the canoe, I mean. I told Chloe to do it, and I stole the bottle of alcohol from Nathan’s cabin, too.”

“You did _what_?!” Nathan asked, looking at her in disbelief, like she’d claimed to be a time traveler from the future or something.

“I knew that Nathan had alcohol that he was providing to everybody in his social circle. And Kate told me that the last time she went to one of his gatherings, Nathan used alcohol to make a move on her, without her consent.”

“You’re a fucking liar,” he hissed, but then quailed under Director Wells’ gaze.

The director turned to Kate. “Can you confirm this?”

“Y-yes…” Kate said, nervous and staring at her lap. Max reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and Kate continued, “Ever since I went to a gathering last year. I-- I don’t drink, but there was something put in my soda that night, and… then he tried to kiss me, but I said no.” She swallowed nervously. “Ever since then, they’ve been calling me hurtful names, and…” she trailed off, too shy to continue, so Max picked up where she left off.

“Nathan tried to make a move on her that night, and since she rejected him, he and Victoria have been calling her awful names and spreading rumors about her. I realized I could put a stop to the kinds of parties like that if I got rid of the alcohol. So I took a key from the office when nobody was looking, and I broke in to Audubon cabin to get the bottle from Nathan’s room.”

“I knew it!” Nathan exclaimed, “You’re a thief _and_ a liar!”

“I didn’t steal anything else besides the alcohol,” Max said, looking straight at Director Wells, “and I only did that because I felt like the situation had gotten out of hand. I needed to do something to protect my friends, and Arcadia.”

“I see…” the Director said, tapping his fingertips together contemplatively. “But that doesn’t explain the canoe. How can you claim to be responsible for that? Ms. Price has already admitted she broke into the building on her own that night.”

“Yes, but she was inspired by something from years ago, when we were both campers,” Max said. It felt like she was giving away a long-kept secret. “We stole a canoe in the same way five years ago, and it was my idea. Chloe just did the same thing that I told her to all those years ago.”

Surprise flashed across Director Wells’ face. “You--? Five years ago? I remember that canoe going missing, but I would never have guessed… Maxine Caulfield, your record always showed you as a model camper.”

Max shrugged. “I guess looks can be deceiving?”

“Indeed,” agreed the Director. “As far as I am concerned… you all are at fault to a degree. Except for Miss Marsh, of course. You may leave, Kate.” He nodded at her and Kate stood up from her chair. She turned to walk out of the room, giving Max a grateful smile as she slipped out of the room. After the door closed behind her, Director Wells turned his glare on the rest of them. “Now, as for you three. To begin with, you all will have an additional hour of janitorial duty each day for the next two weeks, in place of your free time.

Nathan groaned in exasperation, and Chloe rolled her eyes, but Max stayed silent; inwardly, she was grateful, because that meant that they all still had their jobs.

“Furthermore,” Director Wells continued, “I will be writing to each of your parents and legal guardians to inform them of your unprofessional behavior.” Oof, Max thought, that was going to be embarrassing when her parents got that letter.

“Really? I’m nineteen years old, and you’re gonna tell my _mom_?” Chloe asked, incredulous, but then fell silent again when the director glared at her.

“Now, Mr. Prescott,” he said, turning towards Nathan. “I am disappointed in you -- I thought that a longtime camper such as yourself would have better respect for the institution of Arcadia. Henceforth you are on probation, and any further infractions involving alcohol, drugs, or harassment of your fellow counselors, will result in you being prohibited from returning to your job next year, as well as potentially losing your position this summer.” Nathan paled and stared at his shoes. He looked so scared and upset, Max nearly felt sorry for him. Director Wells gave him the signal that he was dismissed, and he got up and left the room without another word.

Next, Director Wells turned to her. “Miss Caulfield,” he said. “Because of your clean record, I am letting you off with a warning this time, but know that I will not be so merciful the next time I see you in my office.” Max let out a sigh of relief she didn’t know she was holding.

Lastly, he turned towards Chloe. He regarded her with a resigned look in his eyes, and Max’s heart hammered in her throat. What if he decided to send Chloe home? Max didn’t know how she’d go on if Chloe was expelled from camp; she couldn’t imagine life in Arcadia without her.

Director Wells shook his head with a sigh. “I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen you seated across this desk, Ms. Price,” he said. For once, Chloe didn’t talk back to him, to Max’s eternal relief. “I had hoped that Miss Caulfield would be a good influence on you, but I was mistaken. Normally, after a third serious infraction such as this, a counselor would be discharged.”

Max felt her stomach lurch. “But the whole thing was my idea--”

Director Wells held up a hand, silencing her. “I wasn’t finished, Miss Caulfield. Like I was saying, _normally_ , I’d be sending you home by now. However, at the end of the last camp session, I had multiple campers and parents approach me saying how great of a group leader you were. They said that you have been incredibly helpful towards the campers, especially the ones who were the most nervous at the start of their session. Out of all the counselors, you were the one that received the most positive mentions. Where it matters, Chloe, you’re making a difference in the lives of our campers. I can see that Rachel has rubbed off on you in a very good way.”

Max studied Chloe’s face, but it was still carefully blank; she didn’t so much as flinch at the mention of Rachel’s name. Director Wells gave a sigh and continued, “Be that as it may, I have to provide some punishment. Henceforth, your key-carrying privileges are revoked. If you need to unlock any building at camp, you will have to be accompanied by Miss Caulfield or a senior counselor.” Chloe’s eyes met Max’s for a split-second; she could think of worse things than having to escort Chloe from place to place. “Furthermore, you will have a curfew of eleven P.M. If you are caught out of your cabin past that hour, there will be further, far stricter consequences. Is that understood?”

“Yessir,” Chloe answered, looking him in the eye. Director Wells gave a nod.

“Very well. I hope to not see you in this office again for the remaining six weeks. I hope that you will continue being supportive and helpful to your campers, and that you two will continue to represent the very best of Arcadia,” he said. “You two may leave now.”

Chloe followed Max out the door, and when it closed behind them with a click, her demeanor changed completely; she wrapped Max in a bone-crushing hug around her ribs, squealing with delight.

“Max! You are the best, the _best_ , the BEST friend ever!” she exclaimed, all bubbly enthusiasm, and then kissed her on the lips with such vigor that it made Max’s head spin.

Dazed, all she could do was smile placidly back when they pulled apart. “I just told him the truth. Well, a version of the truth, anyway.”

“No, Super Max, you were _amazing_ ,” Chloe said. “You stood up for me, and Kate, and you stuck it to Nathan’s stupid face. God, his expression was nearly as priceless as that night on the beach.”

Max decided that retorting with “no, _you’re_ priceless” would be far too cheesy, even for her, so instead she said, “but I didn’t get us out of everything… we still have extra chores and a curfew.”

“Yeah, but, it could be sooo much worse. Chores are fine, I can deal with chores. The curfew sucks, yeah, but…” Chloe got a sly look in her eyes. “...Who’s gonna enforce it?”

“We literally _just_ walked out of Director Wells’ office and you’re already planning to break more rules?” Max shook her head in disbelief. “Chloe, I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“Hey, don’t blame me, that’s just the pirate’s way of life!”

 

***

 

In the dining hall, Max had just gotten a plate of lunch when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Warren, who was giving her a crooked smile. He had a black eye, and the black and blue bruise spread down the side of his cheek as well. Max gasped and nearly dropped her plate of food.

“Oh my god, Warren! What happened to your face?!” she exclaimed.

“What, this?” He touched his fingers to his cheek and gave a small wince. “Ah, after you, uh, jumped in the lake and left the party last night, Nathan decided to show me a little love. You know, all over my face. And then Victoria pulled him off me and dragged him away.”

“Does it hurt?” Max asked in concern.

Warren tried to shake his head and winced again. “Only when I blink.”

“Warren, I’m so sorry--” she started to say, but then he held up a hand to cut her off.

“Don’t worry about it, Max. It’s not your fault. Besides, at least I look pretty bad ass, right?” He laughed a fake laugh, and then gave a sigh. “Yeah. The party last night totally sucked, though. ‘Specially after you left. I mean, there was something that I wanted to say, but I never got to…” He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

Max gave a sigh. So, this was it, then. “It’s all right, Warren. I already know.”

“...You do? I mean, Max, I…” he looked flustered, blushing under his bruises. “I-I just want to say, that you really mean a lot to me, and I…” he swallowed. “I really like you, Max.”

“I like you too, Warren, but--”

“--But not in the same way. I know.” He sighed. “Kate told me… you like somebody else. It’s Chloe, right?”

Max’s face colored immediately. “Uh--” She didn’t know if she was ready to go public about that yet, but Arcadia was a bubble, so word would get out inevitably. Unable to think of words, she kept silent, although her guilty look betrayed her true feelings well enough.

Warren laughed without humor. “Yeah. I thought so… I could never compete with that,” he said. “You wouldn’t jump fully-clothed in the lake for just anybody, and certainly not for me.”

“I’m sorry, Warren,” she said, honestly. “You’re a good friend. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“And yet, it happened anyway. ‘But the future refused to change’...” he shook his head slowly. “Man, even when I’m getting rejected, I can’t help but make nerdy references. I’m pretty hopeless, huh Max?”

“I like it when you make nerdy references, though,” Max told him.

Warren gave her a sad smile. “Don’t say stuff like that, Max. You’ll only get my hopes up again.” He sighed and straightened his posture. “I’ll get over it in a little while, but… in the meantime, I don’t think we should talk so much. ‘Least for a few days.”

Max give him a sympathetic look and nodded. There was an awkward pause as they both stood there, unsure of what to say in parting, and then Warren turned and walked away without another word. Max watched him go, feeling regret that was tinged with relief. The conversation she had been dreading hadn’t gone as badly as she’d feared. It sounded like Warren was going to end up all right, once he got over his feelings for her.

 

***

 

Just when she thought she’d had the last of her awkward conversations for the day, Victoria Chase cornered her as she was leaving the dining hall.

  
“Nathan says you ratted him out to Director Wells and got him on probation,” Victoria spat, her voice filled with venom. “Who the hell do you think you are, Max Caulfield?” 

Any other day before then, and Max would have frantically apologized and tried to escape from the conversation; but she wasn’t afraid of Victoria any more, so she stood her ground. “I’m somebody who stands up for their friends,” she told her, looking her in the eye. “I don’t hate you, but you and Nathan have been bullying Kate Marsh, and I wasn’t going to let you keep doing that.”

“Why do you act like you can tell _me_ how to live my life?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her,” Max said. “Wouldn’t you do the same for your friends? Why do you think that hurting and manipulating people is a good thing?”

“Those are some high words coming from you, after your boyfriend rubbed Nathan’s face in the dirt last night,” Victoria said with a sniff. Max felt her stomach lurch hearing Victoria refer to Warren as her boyfriend.

“Warren’s just a friend, and I didn’t tell him to do that,” she objected. “At any rate, Nathan gave Warren a black eye, so I’d say it goes both ways.”

“Not to mention, your crazy bitch of a roommate dumped all of our alcohol out in the lake.”

“You were using it to hurt and manipulate people!” Max protested, her voice rising to a shout involuntarily. Slightly embarrassed, she continued at a normal volume, “Kate told me how Nathan spiked her drink at a party last year and tried to feel her up. He would’ve succeeded if Rachel Amber hadn’t been there. And since then, you’ve been insulting her and calling her names because of something she didn’t do! How can you think that that is right or okay?!”

Victoria blinked at her, speechless and affronted. Max sighed.

“Look, I’m not your enemy. I actually wouldn’t mind it if we could be friends. We might have more in common than you think,” Max told her. “We’re all here at Arcadia together for the rest of the summer, so we should make the most of the time we have here. We might actually have more fun here if all of us tried to be a little nicer and more considerate of each other.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Hmph. Good luck with your naive little dreams, Caulfield.” She turned up her nose and stalked past. After a few paces, she looked over her shoulder. “By the way, we still aren’t friends,” she added, and then stalked away down the hallway.

Max sighed again, but inside she felt kind of happy; like some of what she said had gotten through to her. She knew that Victoria had another, kinder side to her, and Max wasn’t going to give up trying to find it until their camp session was over. Of course, she’d have a much harder time trying to win over Nathan Prescott’s friendship, after the damage she’d done to him, but she wasn’t ready to give up hope on that front, either.

Who knew that “being nice to everyone” would be such a difficult rule to follow?

 

***

 

She had her chance to talk to the other half of the Vortex duo later on, during their shared janitorial duty. Together, they were in the bathroom of the Nature Center, de-grouting the floor tiles and polishing the mirrors. Nathan seemed stubbornly determined not to speak to her, or even to make eye contact or acknowledge her presence at all whatsoever. Max didn’t want to push it; he had every right to still be mad at her after she essentially got him put on probation. But, even though he was furious with her, he was scared of her, too -- scared of how this small, unassuming girl had walked all over his regime and humiliated him in front of all the other counselors.

Max rubbed her cloth over a stain on the mirror and watched Nathan at work through the reflection on the glass. He had a perpetual frown as he dragged the scrub brush back and forth across the tile, staring straight ahead. Max wondered if he’d ever done a day’s real work in his whole life. After all, by all accounts his family was loaded, meaning they probably just hired somebody to do the work that he was doing now. It begged the question: why would a privileged rich kid with a prestigious family name keep returning to a backwoods camp like this one, year after year?

  
“Why are you at Arcadia, Nathan?” Max asked, breaking their no-talking policy. 

The boy was silent for a moment. Max gave a small sigh; he had every right to give her the cold shoulder, after what she’d done. Trying to talk to him was stupid and futile, and would probably just make him upset. So she was surprised when he said, “Because I want to be here.”

Max blinked. Nathan’s face showed no change in emotion as he robotically dragged the brush forward and backward. Max continued, “I mean, why Arcadia and not some other summer camp? I mean, this place is pretty remote…”

The brush went clattering across the floor tiles as Nathan stood up, his posture hunched over and his gaze fixed on the ground. “What is this, 20 fucking questions? I gave you my answer, Caulfield, now can you leave me alone? Jesus Christ, it’s like you exist specifically to torment me.”

“Sorry…” Max looked away from him and focused on her work. Trying to engage with him had been a mistake; it was bad enough that they had work duty together. She shouldn’t try to provoke him at all.

Thus resigned to her task, she gave a little start when Nathan spoke again. “...I’m here because of my friends,” he murmured, staring at the floor. His voice was nearly inaudible, that Max did a double-take to confirm that he’d actually said something.

“...Who are your friends?” she asked, hesitantly.

“...Vic. Hayden. Trev and Justin. Dana.” He continued his scrubbing. “...Rachel. There used to be a lot more, but they ditched this place. Nobody gives a shit any more.”

“Except for you,” Max said quietly, still avoiding eye contact. “You must care about Arcadia a lot.”

Nathan made a breathy noise which almost sounded like a laugh. “I guess. Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome. I’m starting to get pretty sick of this hellhole, too. Especially when they put me on _fucking_ cleaning duty, with the _bitch_ who got me into this mess!” he yelled, throwing his scrub brush onto the floor again. His angry outbursts seemed to come at regular intervals, it was almost predictable.

Something he’d said pulled at Max though. Careful not to provoke him again, she asked, “...You knew Rachel?”

“Of course I fucking did, everybody knew Rachel,” he said, looking at Max like she was an idiot. “Your psycho roommate was practically conjoined to her. But when she wasn’t with that crazy dyke, Rachel was okay. She was pretty fun at parties, plus she kept us supplied.”

It took Max a few seconds to process what Nathan’s words meant. “You mean… Rachel brought you your alcohol?”

“Are you fucking deaf? That’s what I just said,” Nathan told her. “Booze, weed, acid, pills, you name it, Rachel hooked us up. It was pretty sweet. Dunno where she got it all from, though. Guess it doesn’t matter anymore.” He shot her a glare. “Now can you stop fucking asking questions already? Jesus, you’re even worse than your roomie, you just won’t shut the fuck up.”

At Nathan’s request, Max fell silent, but she was thinking over what he’d said. Rachel had been friends with the Vortex club? And not only that, but she’d been the one providing them with alcohol and drugs for their parties in the first place? That didn’t sit right with the image of Rachel, the savior that had stepped in and intervened when Kate was under the influence, nor with the sunny, rebellious girl that Chloe held in such high esteem. They couldn’t _all_ be telling the truth about her, could they?

If Max wanted to find out the truth, she had to ask the one person there who had known Rachel the most.

Fortunately, they finished cleaning the bathroom shortly after that, which meant she didn’t have to spend more time in Nathan’s presence, enduring his insults and his spontaneous bursts of anger. She felt like she was beginning to understand him a little better, though. Camp Arcadia was an escape for everyone that came there and kept coming back, and Nathan was probably trying to escape, too, from a life filled with stress and high expectations. This was probably the only place he could spend time with friends who accepted him for who he really was. Never mind that his ‘real self’ was a bully with anger management issues…

Max left the Nature Center and walked over to the outside of the Mess Hall, where Chloe was working on her own chore assignment, picking up litter that was strewn around the entrance. As soon as she set eyes on her, Max’s mood lifted; but then she remembered what -- _who_ \-- she’d come to talk about, and her smile faded. This wouldn’t be an easy conversation to have.

Chloe looked up and spotted her. “Max!” she exclaimed in barely-concealed delight, dropping what she was doing and running over to where Max stood. But when she saw the serious look on Max’s face, her face fell. “...What’s wrong? Did Nathan say something to you? I’ll punch him in the dick if he so much as breathes wrong around you--”

“No, it’s not Nathan,” Max said. “At least, not exactly.” She looked into Chloe’s blue eyes. “We have to talk. It’s about Rachel.”

Max didn’t miss the way that Chloe still flinched at the mention of her name. “...Okay, fine,” she said. “But not here. Let’s meet in half an hour outside of you-know-where.”

She knew what that meant: Chloe’s clubhouse in the woods. If she was going to find out the truth about Rachel, that would be the best place to do it.

 

***

 

In the same way that the Nature Center felt dramatically different between daytime and nighttime, so did the shack in the woods. Max stood to the side as Chloe fished the key out from under the rock to unlock the door. The shack looked less creepy, but far more run-down during the day. There was moss growing across the shingles on the roof, and the earthy smell of rotting wood was much more pronounced. It was also buggy, and Max found herself swatting at mosquitoes that persistently bit at her arms and legs.

Chloe opened the door and the two of them stepped inside. The interior of the shack was pleasantly cool and dry, and also fairly dark, with the only light coming in from the small broken window. There were the same punk posters and photographs that Max remembered from last time, the same low table and moth-eaten mattress. Chloe sprawled across it with a sigh, while Max pulled up a stool to sit on.

The blue-haired girl had her mouth covered with one hand, and was studying Max’s face with a slightly wary look in her eyes. Max was nervous, too; ever since the first day of camp, they had avoided the topic of Rachel Amber due to the bad memories and uncomfortable feelings it brought up. Now, though, things were different between them, and Max needed to know the truth.

Before Max could start talking, though, Chloe crossed the room and fetched the tape deck from out of the sea chest again. Max quietly watched as she loaded up a tape and [pressed play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVdWqHtTPkE). The sounds of soft acoustic guitar filled the room, and it gave her a strange feeling. Was it possible to feel nostalgia for the present moment? Even though she was nervous about the conversation they were soon to have, there was something special about every minute they spent together.

Chloe reached up and unpinned a picture from the wall, setting it on the table in front of them. It was the picture that Max had looked at before, of Chloe and Rachel together, flipping off the camera with smiles on their faces.

“Rachel used to like to take pictures, too,” Chloe said, staring at the photo. “It always reminded me of you. She wasn’t as into it as you are, though.”

Max stared at the girl in the photo. “Chloe…” she began, “I was talking to Nathan earlier and he told me something. He said that Rachel Amber had been the one who kept the Vortex club supplied with all of their alcohol and drugs. Did you know about any of that?”

Chloe was quiet for a moment. She looked around the room at all the posters and photographs on the wall, then breathed in deeply through her nose. “Rachel… had a lot of secrets,” she said. “Like most of us here at Arcadia, her home life wasn’t great. She always used to say how Arcadia was the only place she felt like she could be herself.” She paused and reached under the table for cigarettes and a lighter. “...Sorry, thinking about Rachel makes me crave a cig… do you want one?”

Max shook her head no. “So Rachel was the one that taught you to smoke?”

Chloe lit a cigarette and took a drag. “Yeah,” she said, exhaling smoke. “Everyone always thought _I_ was the bad influence, but Rachel… you wouldn’t believe it. She was the perfect counselor, a total goodie two-shoes with the Director, but get her alone and the difference was like day and night,” Chloe said. “She was unstoppable. It was like she never had an ‘off’ switch. She was always dreaming of something bigger, something better… like she had this hunger inside. I wish you could meet her, Max.”

Max felt a twist in her stomach. “Yeah, that would’ve been… nice,” she said. She wondered if her relationship with Chloe would have been totally different if Rachel was still in the picture. “Did you know she was selling drugs to the Vortex club?”

Chloe looked away. “...No, not really,” she admitted. “Rachel and I spent a lot of time together, but there was still a lot she didn’t tell me. She never went into details about her family life, just talked about how much it sucked in general, and she wouldn’t tell me about who she was dating back home, either. Sometimes, I’d wake up at night and she’d just be gone for hours, without telling me where she went. Once or twice, she’d vanish for two to three days without warning.” Chloe’s expression looked pained. “That was hard, because everyone kept asking me, like _I_ was supposed to know or something. I had to lead the group all on my own until she randomly reappeared a few days later. I don’t think she told anybody where she went.”

“So, you didn’t know she partied with Nathan and Victoria and their crew?”

“I mean, I knew she _liked_ to party…” Chloe tapped the side of her chin thoughtfully. “I guess I never thought she’d _want_ to hang out with them. I mean, we had so much fun with just the two of us.” She dragged on her cigarette. “It’s kinda weird to think about… I mean, she always had enough weed and booze for the two of us, but maybe she was after Prescott’s money or something.”

“Nathan told me he considered her one of his friends.”

“Seriously? Rachel and Pres-cock? No way; we used to make fun of him behind his back,” Chloe said, smiling at the memory, but then she paused and her face fell. She stubbed out her cigarette on the table and sighed. “If you’re telling the truth, then… I guess I didn’t know Rachel as well as I thought.”

“It sounds like she was a pretty complicated person,” Max said carefully.

“...Yeah. Sometimes I couldn’t believe she was even real. She was so much larger than life, I never could understand why she’d bother with a backwoods place like Arcadia, or a lonely punk like me.” Chloe tilted her head back, staring at the water-stained ceiling.

“Chloe…” Max wrung her hands. This wasn’t going to be easy to say, but she had to say it. “...I should tell you something. Ever since I heard of Rachel… and now, hearing you talk about her… I’ve been so jealous,” she admitted. “Everyone always says Rachel was so beautiful, so special, so unique, and compared to her, I’m just so totally plain, ordinary and boring--” Chloe leaned in and cut Max off with a finger across her lips.

“Max Caulfield. You have never, in the history of your entire life, been ordinary or boring,” Chloe told her with a smile. “You are hella brave and funny and cute and a whole ton of other stuff. Ask anyone in camp, they’ll agree with me. You’re one-of-a-kind, that’s why.” She reached out to run fingers through Max’s hair. “I almost feel selfish, keeping you all to myself.”

“You _are_ selfish,” Max agreed, leaning in so that their faces were almost touching. “I like that about you, though. Along with everything else.” Chloe closed the few inches’ distance remaining between them, kissing her from across the small table. After a couple of seconds, she pulled away and made a face.

“Your hair smells like cleaning chemicals, Max,” she said teasingly. She patted the seat on the mattress next to her. “Come over here already.”

Max got up and moved to sit next to her. “And you taste like ash,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m dating a smoker.” A beat, and then Max realized what she’d just said, and immediately blushed. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“... _Dating?_ ” Chloe slid an arm around Max’s shoulders. “Did you just give us a relationship upgrade without telling me, Max?”

“I mean,” Max said, still blushing, “I-if you’re okay with it, then…” In response, the other girl slid a hand across the back of her neck and leaned in to kiss her, her lips gentle at first and then more insistent, the warm pressure between them causing Max’s thoughts to short-circuit. Behind her eyelids, Max saw stars.

Chloe pulled back, smiling, leaving Max in a daze. “I’m happy with whatever you want to call us, as long as it means I can still do _that_ ,” she said playfully. Her fingertip traced the freckles on Max’s forearm. Max looked at her blue eyes framed by blonde lashes and felt a feeling of vertigo, the same sensation she got on the Arcadia zip-line: like falling, but also like she was flying.

“Uh-- great, then,” Max said, still dizzy yet delighted. “That sounds great.”

In a little while, they’d have to go public with their relationship, although Max was certain that approximately three quarters of the counselors knew about them -- or suspected it -- already. They’d also need to decide what, if anything, they’d tell the campers in their future groups.

For now, though, the hazy afternoon heat provoked a yawn from Max. She’d spent a lot of sleepless nights over the past two weeks, worrying and wondering, sneaking out on adventures and seizing every moment like it was about to slip away. Now, comfortable in the warmth of Chloe’s arms, her exhaustion felt like it caught up with her. It made it difficult to keep her eyes open; the temptation to nap was too great to ignore.

After all, it wasn’t like they wouldn’t have more time later on: more gilded afternoons, moon-drenched midnights and dewy mornings to spend together. Tomorrow after tomorrow after tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Woah! How long has it been? Eight months?  
>  To be honest, I've had this chapter written up and sitting on my hard drive for so long, but finding the right note to end it on was difficult... but I decided that Max and Chloe and all of you deserved closure. So, here we are at last.  
> The song in this chapter was "Santa Monica Dream" by Angus & Julia Stone, which is probably very familiar to some of you.  
> Hope you enjoyed reading this story! Writing it was a wonderful experience, and your delightful feedback and comments really brightened my day.  
> While this is the end of this particular story, I am considering revisiting Camp Arcadia in the future. I have some ideas for additional short stories and mini-fics set in this AU, so if there's interest, there may be more, we'll see. :)
> 
> I have a LiS blog: pirates-of-arcadia-bay.tumblr.com


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